Swashbuckler by James Moloney

This is the cover of the edition that seems to still be in print

This is the original cover with art by Annmarie Scott

"If you really want to know, I'm wild, I'm mad, I'm absolutely furious with him. 

Why does he have to die? And my biggest fear of all is that I'll go up to that hospital and stand next to him and I won't be able to stop myself. I'll start shaking him and yelling at him. You see, now, why I can't go up to the hospital, don't you?"

Publisher blurb: ‘Cease and desist! Stand fast and release your prisoner!’

Peter, a new boy at Park Ridge school, is thankful to be rescued from the school bullies by Anton the Swashbuckler. Even if Anton does speak in such a weird way and wears outlandish garments. After this Peter and Anton become firm friends and discover that they each have family problems. Together they turn those problems into challenges to be tackled in true Swashbuckler style.

Here is a summary from the excellent Teachers Notes: Peter, along with his mother and two younger sisters, are forced to move house after his father gambles away everything that they own. Bitter and angry, Peter finds it impossible to forgive and accept his father back into his life. In fact, in Peter’s mind, he has no father. To make matters worse, Peter is cornered on his first day at Park Ridge school by the school’s most notorious bullies. He is rescued by classmate Anton, a self-proclaimed ‘swashbuckler’, who speaks in character and dresses in costume. Most kids at school think Anton has gone completely mad. However, this colourful facade hides the painful fact that Anton’s father is dying from cancer.

Swashbuckler was published in 1995. When I saw it in a school library recently I thought it would be very interesting to revisit this book as I remembered really enjoying it and also I think I have referenced it here on this blog several times as a companion book.

Has this book stood the 'test of time'?

Yes and no. The actual plot certainly has but possibly some of the reference feel outdated - such as watching videos; going to the video shop; using a camcorder; and there is one reference to smacking a child. None of these tiny things though, will reduce enjoyment for a reader.

What I liked about this book:

• It is fairly short with only 83 pages however the print size is too small. If this book is ever reprinted, I would like to see a larger font.
• The characters in this story are so well developed especially Peter.
• The 'authentic' weird way Anton speaks means this book would be good to read aloud. I will look for an audio book version. Here it is.
• There is a sequel so if young readers aged 9+ enjoy Swashbuckler they are sure to want to read about the two bullies Buzzard Breath and Brains and hear their perspective on the school rose bush vandalism.
• I like the cover of the newer edition.
• Both boys have different life struggles, but both need to find a way to forgive, in this case, their fathers.
• The issues raised in this book about terminal illness and an addiction to gambling are just as relevant today.
• The ending is very sad (I cried), but it is also realistic. Yes, there is a good outcome for Peter with his dad, but it is not a saccharine or silly happily ever after. 

Swashbuckler was part of a series from University of Queensland Press called Storybridge. All these years later I think short, action stories like this are needed especially for upper primary aged boys. I found this list of titles. I remember enjoying Sally Marshall's Not an Alien by Amanda McKay; Nathan Nuttboard Hits the Beach by Anthony Eaton; and I adored (still adore) The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey. James Moloney also wrote one of my BEST ever Grade six read aloud titles - The Pipe - from the After Dark series. In 2014 I read Disappearing Act and I loved his Aussie Bites title Moving House. 

Swashbuckler won the CBCA Younger Readers category in 1996. I was interested to see James Moloney's book made several of the older readers short lists 2009 Kill the Possum; 2006 Honour title Lost Property; 2004 Black Taxi; 2001Touch Me; 1997 winner A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove; 1996 The House on River Terrace; 1995 Honour title Gracey; 1994 Honour title Dougy and in 1999 the sequel to Swashbuckler - Buzzard Breath and Brains was a Honour title. You can see many of the covers here and read more about James Moloney.

Read more here

The Young Vikings

Little Stupendo by Jon Blake

Our Grade Two classes are looking at different junior book series from our library this term.  So far we have read Poor Fish (Aussie Nibble), My amazing poo plant (Aussie Nibble), Hot Stuff (Solo) and today we read Holly and the Skyboard (Sprinter).

I bought home a small selection of Sprinters to read tonight so I had more titles from this series to recommend to my students.  Here are three I really enjoyed.  It is always exciting to find simple beginner chapter books with satisfying stories.

Little Stupendo is the long suffering daughter of the Great Stupdeno.  It is Little Stupendo who has to repair torn costumes when his tricks don't quite work out but Little Stupendo is tired of this.  She longs to perform dare devil stunts herself.

The Great Stupendo has a new stunt involving a tightrope but he also has a serious rival - Johnny Bravo. When The Great Stupendo upsets his neighbour Mr Chinspot revenge is in the air.  The Great Stupendo has one serious weakness - his fear of spiders.  Meanwhile Little Stupendo has been practicing.  "As the Great Stupendo snored in his bed, Little Stupendo walked the plank.  Then the broomstick. By the light of the moon she crept outside and climbed onto the clothes line.  Bit by bit, she learned how to keep her balance. She even waved to the crowd, except no one was watching."

There are three Sprinter titles featuring Little Stupendo.

Hector the Rat is a completely unconventional fellow. "He was clean. He worked hard.  He was kind." He loves to tidy his room and he has discovered the joy of reading. His family are disgusted and order him to leave the family sewer.  Once above ground Hector meets Charlie and they become instant best friends.

Trouble is Charlie's mum will not allow him to have a pet rat in the house. The most glorious scene in this tiny 60 page book comes when Hector and Charlie are chased back into the sewer pipes. They are being chased by a rat catcher.  "Hector put his hand deep into his pocket. He pulled out some string, a tiny rat-sized torch, a magnetic compass, two boiled sweets, a toothbrush and a piece of paper which he unfolded carefully."

Ulf is a troll who lives in the far North. He loves to eat fingers and he tricks people by offering a friendly greeting as the walk alone on the hills.  As he says "How do you do" the walker would "hold out his or her hand to shake Ulf's.  Then Ulf would take it and, quick as a flash, bite off a finger with his razor sharp teeth and run away as fast as his bow-legs would carry him, chewing like mad and grinning all over his frog-face."

The Finger Eater continues his nasty ways until he meets Gundrun.  She has a solution which will stop this troll from inflicting any more harm on unsuspecting humans. I won't spoil this except to say if you ever find some discarded reindeer antlers (reindeer shed their antlers and grow new ones every year) hold onto them because you never know when they might be quite useful.

We have over 30 Sprinter titles in our school library.  They are part of our Fast Fiction collection and take less than twenty minutes to read aloud.  Perfect for newly independent readers.