Month: November 2015

Thirst, by Lizzie Wilcock

Karanda crawled off Solomon and stood up, dusting herself off. ‘Well, you can’t stay here,’ she said, crossing her arms.
‘It’s not your desert,’ Solomon said, sticking his chin out.
‘No, it’s not my desert,’ she said. ‘But this is my escape. I’m running away. I’m doing it on my own. I won’t make you go back to the road, but you can’t come with me. It will be hard enough taking care of  myself – I don’t want to have to look after a little kid, too.’

Since her mother abandoned her, Karanda has been through a strong of foster homes, and has quickly learnt to rely only on herself. So, when a car crash on the way to her sixth foster home sees her stranded in the desert, she takes the opportunity to run. She is going to escape and start a new life of her own. What she doesn’t count on is pesky eight-year old Solomon wanting to tag along. If only he wasn’t so nice to her all the time, she could leave him behind.

Thirst is a story of survival set in the harsh Australian desert, a setting which is echoed in the harshness of fourteen year old Karanda’s life to date. As Karanda and Solomon set out into the desert, hoping to avoid being found following the crash which has given them freedom, they must battle the elements one would expect to find in the Australian desert – heat, thirst, flood, lack of shelter, hunger and dangerous wildlife. They must also battle their own demons and, at times, each other.

Young readers with an interest in survival stories and adventures will enjoy the story and the bush tucker, and as the characters develop will come to want to see them become friends and, ultimately, find happiness.

Thirst, by Lizzie Wilcock
Scholastic Press, 2015
ISBN 9781742839660&

The Vanilla Slice Kid by Adam Wallace and Jack Wodhams ill Tom Gittus

Before Archie Cunningham was born, his mum developed an overwhelming craving for cakes and other cake-like delights. Vanilla slices, cupcakes, lemon tarts, cookies, ice-cream cakes, chocolate mud cake with triple chocolate icing – no cake was safe when Mrs Cunningham was around.

… She did care about her husband, who worked very hard to make money to buy cakes (partly for her, partly because he liked cakes too). They had been married quite a long time, and having a baby was quite a shock to them, and not an altogether pleasant one.

The Vanilla Slice KidBefore Archie Cunningham was born, his mum developed an overwhelming craving for cakes and other cake-like delights. Vanilla slices, cupcakes, lemon tarts, cookies, ice-cream cakes, chocolate mud cake with triple chocolate icing – no cake was safe when Mrs Cunningham was around.

… She did care about her husband, who worked very hard to make money to buy cakes (partly for her, partly because he liked cakes too). They had been married quite a long time, and having a baby was quite a shock to them, and not an altogether pleasant one.

Archie Cunningham is born with a magical ability. It’s an ability his dreadful parents immediately plan to benefit from. They have little interest in him, only the things he can do. They don’t send him to school, not from any sense of protection or love for their child, but because they don’t want to share his gift. Archie grows up isolated, lonely and shy. But secrets like this are hard to keep and before he knows it, everyone wants to know Archie. Life is definitely more exciting now, and Archie will need all his skills to survive. Black and white illustrations appear on most openings and chapter headings are ‘written’ in piped icing.

The Vanilla Slice Kid is totally absurd – colourful and wild. Archie’s search for a ‘normal’ life – you know, with friends, stability and mentors – is hampered by a succession of avaricious adults who want to manipulate him for their own ends. Archie must work out who he can trust, what he can do, so he can take control of his own life. And he does, with hilarious if often gross results. ‘The Vanilla Slice Kid’ will appeal to a wide age range from lower primary up. Confident readers will rip through it. Younger readers will be begging for just one more chapter.

The Vanilla Slice Kid, Adam Wallace and Jack Wodhams ill Tom Gittus

Ford Street Publishing 2015 ISBN: 9781925272024

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com