Pip Harry

7/10, this was another good novel, at least it was better than Ask Me How I Got Here, by Christine Heppermann, that was terrible, and I'm glad I read this book. The three main characters, Lottie, Jack, and Noah, were interesting in their own ways, and overcame their personal struggles, which I liked. The story was disconnected at first, but it got pieced together in the end, when some of the main characters wrote letters to one another, as part of a school assignment or something. The end of the book was satisfying, since the three main characters all went to Manly beach, this was the first time for one character, and I got to see all three characters meet each other in person. If you like a feel-good verse novel with character development, this is the book for you.… (altro)

Lovely well-written story of Bridget (Bee) who has just started high school and must confront all the changes happening in her life - not only with her body but also with her friendships especially with the Year 8 boy Leon she has grown up with. Bee must do all this without the help of her mother who has disappeared overseas to a Buddhist retreat and keeps promising to return to Australia to see her but never does, AND fitting in with her new step-brother and her Dad's new partner Kath who is trying to help her. As well as all this, Bee is in the swimming squad and notices something disturbing happening to her nemesis and she doesn't know how to help.
The book gets its jumping point from the 1980s Judy Blume bestseller "Are you there God, its me Margaret", is set in short prose style and is interspersed with lots of quotes from Buddha that apply to what is happening in Bee's life at the time.
I read this book in two hours, so students should also find it a quick read and hopefully they can relate to Bee's struggles with all the changes in her body, her life, school and how she copes with them.… (altro)

Two converging worlds. Tiny is a homeless 18 year old who has been protected from the worst of "street life" through her friendship with ex-lecturer Zak. Nola is a senior student who is forced to volunteer at the same shelter where Tiny is residing - girl of privilege and little understanding of the plight of the homeless. Together, their love of story, writing , poetry etc draws them into friendship spurned on by the amazing staff at Hope Lane particularly the young chef Eddie who has past demons to bury. Very authentic depictions of life in homeless shelters and the personalities of the homeless versus the "do gooders" who try to assist and what their motives are. Found the story of Tiny and her teenage preganacy post-partum depression and escape rang very true and her reconciliation with her mother also very authentic - not the disney Happy family's version but a real life "see how it goes" version. Older students due to drug and self-harm references.… (altro)