Leif is a unique kid - or at least our insights into his big brain and life experiences make him feel unique. Leif has been born with CIA (Climate Induced Anomalies). Before you get too worried, I think Maryam Master made up this disease but, in any case, at this time (spoiler alert this book is in set the near future) CIA is not common and in fact Leif is the very first kid with this in the whole world BUT ... being the first kid it means he is subject to all sorts of tests and experiments and this has been going on since he was born. Leif is tired of doctors and hospitals.
What are the symptoms of CIA. Luckily Maryam Master does not go into too much detail but for Leif there is one huge life challenge - he is small - very small. Also, but not connect with CIA, Leif has, as I mentioned, a huge scientific brain which comes from his curiosity about the world of science and his extensive reading on a range of topics. Leif is also a highly self-aware kid. For example, early in the book we learn about all his phobias - these are mostly hilarious such as a phobia of cake icing, the number eight, delivery drones and a fear of phobias - called phobophobia! Leif also has a phobia that you may have too - fear of being without his phone.
But most of all Leif has a desperate need to make a real friend.
"I am a certified, card-carrying, genuine science enthusiast. I guess you could say that is the lends through which I see the world. ... I do however fear that it could be this obsession with science that has caused everything else in my life to fall apart. Perhaps it's the reason why most kids my age treat me like I'm a radioactive three-eyed freak. Of course, it could also be my personality. My odd way of speaking, my tendency to notice small details in bit situations ... or it could be my phobias. Which ones you ask? There are simply too many to list ... "
Leif and his family have moved from the Hollow Creek in the OC (Outer Circle) because of a severe drought which has made that area almost uninhabitable. Now they live in Orange Grove in the IC (Inner Circle).
This story quickly becomes a recount - we read about the events that led to the fire at school which burned down the whole science block. Here is the opening sentence of My Tiny Universe:
"I would like to clarify for the record, one very important, undeniable fact. It wasn't me who burnt down the science block."
Leif has a quirky story voice (which for me could have become slight annoying) so I was pleased to see that Maryam used alternating voices and so we hear his sister's take on the events leading to the fire and almost obsessive relationship with his friend Albie. The switch between narrators is shown with chapter headings and a change of font. It is also clear that Holly can read the chapters written by Leif and when we hear her voice she is able to refute or clarify or elaborate on the Leif version of events.
Publisher blurb: Leif is named after a valiant Viking. But being a two-foot nothing, fraidy-cat kid with a thousand and one phobias is about as far from valiant as you can get. ... He's not one of the cool kids at school. Or the geeks. He's not even one of the misfits. (Have you ever heard of a misfit who didn't fit in with other misfits?) Leif's different in every way, but especially because he was the first kid to be born with CIA (Climate Induced Anomalies). He didn't have a single friend at West Hershey College, before Albie came along. And that's when all the trouble really began.
One really splendid part of this book comes from the way Maryam Master very slowly and almost secretly lets us know that this is the world of the future albeit the very near future. There are dystopian themes in this book such as climate change, but they are not at the forefront of the story. And I didn't really start to think about the time setting until about three quarters of the way through the book.
As an adult reader though, fairly early it in the story, I worked out the 'truth' rather like solving a murder mystery before the detectives have gathered all the clues. Of course, I cannot talk about how I worked this out because that would be a massive spoiler but I will be very interested to hear Maryam Master talking about this book on Sunday (tomorrow) because I expect she will talk about when and why and how she thinks readers will work out 'what is going on here' and her expectations around that discovery for her audience of readers aged 10+. I will update this post with her comments.
Comment by Rachel Robson Gleebooks:
My Tiny Universe is Maryam’s most sophisticated novel yet, she has that wonderful ability to take you into those dark places whilst still showcasing the sunshine and the wonder. Her characters are flawed yet beautiful and they take you on a journey that will have you questioning how we all fit in this crazy universe of ours. I’m so excited to finally see this gorgeous book out in the world and I can’t wait to see the conversations that kids and grown-ups will have about their future and about our connection with each other. ... Hands down, this is book of the year in an ocean of extraordinary book releases.
Here are a few questions I could ask Maryam:
- The opening fire event is very dramatic - was this the first story thread you thought of ?
- When Leif puts on a helmet at the science fair I thought of the famous book Wonder by RJ Palacio. Would you be happy if people compare your story with Auggie's?
- I really like that the setting for your story feels very general and not specifically Australian - was this a deliberate decision?
- I've found some links between your books (see below). As an author do you see overlapping themes and character traits between your stories?
- Do you have a favourite scene in your book? Mine is when Leif runs away - I felt every moment of that train journey and his shock on arriving in his former town and later I gasped when you introduced a 'bot cop' - I think that was the moment I realised we were in a near future/dystopian world.
- How conscious were you of the social commentary in your story about climate change, addiction to technology and AI and the use of and power of Chatbots?
Post update from the event at Gleebooks which was attended by over fifty people including ASLA President Martha Itzcovitz; Alison Cunningham CBCA NSW; a number of school Teacher Librarians; and Paul Macdonald previous owner of The Children's Bookshop. Maryam Master was interviewed by Ursula Dubosarsky. Rachel Robson introduced them both with the most impressive list of awards. Here are the questions:
How did this book begin? Maryam's husband suggested she might explore dystopian ideas and then she thought of the tiny boy living in a vast universe. Yes the world is complex but Maryam is by nature an optimistic person.
Did Maryam know this book is funny? That surprises and delights her. She did want a balance of light and dark.
Was it hard to juggle two narrators and use different fonts and writing styles? No, because she is used to writing scripts. Maryam worked closely with her book designer Astred Hicks. When Maryam wrote the character of Holly it seemed that girl would never shut up - I found that so funny.
Can you see a connection with your own migration to Australia and the need/desire to reconnect with your homeland and the way Leif travels back to his old home? Maryam was delighted by this question and while she had not directly made this connection she conceded it was probably true.
Can you talk about the writing process and your view of the reader? Maryam finds writing can be a struggle. She loves celebrating the final product and is especially thrilled when a young reader writes and tells her their reaction to her story. Readers bring their own experiences to a book and once the book is out in the world it no longer belongs to the author. My Tiny Universe took 9-10 months to write, and it was her high school English teacher who encouraged her to write.
Other news - there might be a movie version of her book No Words and she is pitching a Picture book with publishers right now.
I was right that Maryam invented CIA (Climate Induced Abnormalities). I was also right that Maryam knew just having the voice of Leif could make this story slightly tedious which is why she introduced his sister Holly and used the technique of alternating voices.
My Tiny Universe is sure to be a CBCA 2027 Notable title and I expect it will also reach the shortlist. The cover of this book by Astred Hicks is fantastic - it is sure to grab the attention of kids in libraries and bookshops. Here is a video review. The publisher does have a set of teaching notes/questions but really once again my plea is to just let the readers in your life, classroom or library enjoy the story without doing a micro analysis.
I read it in one sitting, marvelling at the book that looked like a simple tale of school friendships and sibling troubles all mixed in with first person geeky humour, but had become so much more. What book Next
My Tiny Universe by Maryam Master, is a close up exposé of a universal problem; the art of being big when you feel so stupendously small. ... Leify is a beautiful, brilliant and very bruised soul who, like many of us experiencing unwanted change, is grieving in ways no amount of higher thinking can resolve. Dim's Write Stuff
Companion books:
Now let's talk about some repeated ideas or themes in other books from Maryam Master that apply to My Tiny Universe. In each previous book we meet an outsider or a kid who is struggling and we are able to experience their life journey and watch and hope they will find true friendship:
Ana has cancer (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) Leif has CIA. Exit through the Gift shop has a reference to Persian tea and in My Tiny Universe Samira (you need to read the book to discover her importance) is Persian. Maryam Master was born in Iran (Persia).
Aria is the new boy at school - he is mute so, like Leif, we watch him struggle to make friends. Leif tries using a check list of strategies to make friends. A big theme in No Words is the importance of making true friends and for reasons that you will discover when you read it so does My Tiny Universe. And both books have short chapters.
Zee has no friends and so she is sent to a holiday camp designed for kids with, well as you have guessed, no friends. Laughter is the best ending also uses changes of font, lists and play scripts. Zee uses more sophisticated language than her peers and so does Leif. Zee talks about the poet Rumi like Leif! And both books also mention Maya Angelou and Shakespeare.
