View from the 32nd Floor by Emma Cameron

Blurb: Something special has been gifted to you. Join your neighbours, Saturday, 6.00 pm, on the roof. Living on the thirty-second floor of an apartment block, William has a clear view of the building opposite. He sees his neighbours eating ice-cream, watering potted palms, painting pictures ... or as shadows behind closed curtains. Shadows worry William. With his new friend Rebecca, and helped by lots of cake, a dictionary of names, tai chi, and banana-shaped sticky notes, he plans to tempt his lonely neighbours back into the world. Can they succeed? Always always.

Today I had to wait around 3 hours at an appointment so I picked up View from the 32nd Floor before I left home this morning. Today is the THIRD time I have read this book and I still adore it - but I so desperately wish Walker Books Australia had given this book a better cover - apologies to Liz Anelli. I need to beg, shout, cajole this publisher to reprint this little book - it is such a GEM. 

I have talked about View from the 32nd Floor twice previously in 2013 and 2019 so please take a minute or two to read my comments and then IF you have any way of influencing the publisher please beg, plead, implore them to republish this book NOW. Perhaps we should all tell the author Emma Cameron too.

Teachers - you could use this book for so many things but most off all this book would be a splendid read aloud to a Grade 4 class. In my previous posts I talked about the music William's dad share each day and all the wonderful names William adopts to match his daily hopes and purpose.  Here are some character descriptions:

Mrs Stravros - "She had hair streaked with more silver threads than black, and her pale face was as wrinkled as crepe paper."

Paula - "Paula was as skinny as Jess but only came up to her armpits. Her boots were nothing like Jess's either. They were covered in sequins of every colour and a tiny bell jiggled at the end of each pointy toe when she walked."

Jess - "her skinny legs covered in stretchy black tights and her fine frame wrapped in a pale blue terry towelling bathrobe. Thick brown hair flopped over her eyes when she juggled a key in the lock."

View from the 32nd Floor by Emma Cameron

This is my second reading and second post about this utterly splendid middle grade novel. I wish the publisher, Walker Books, would consider a reprint with a better cover - I'm sure the cover (which in my view is not very appealing)  is why this book did not receive the attention it deserved. I was visiting Beachside Bookshop last weekend and I spied The View from the 32nd Floor. Actually I have seen it there on previous visits.  This gem of a book has been waiting for a new home since December 2016. Did you know you can often see the date a book arrives in a store on the price sticker? As you have guessed this shop copy now has a new home with me!

I originally talked about this book in 2013 and when I read my comments from then nothing has changed.  Reading this book all over again was just a joy. I did predict this book would be short listed by our CBCA - sadly this did not happen but The View from the 32nd Floor did make the notable list which means it should be in most Australian Primary school libraries - I certainly hope you can find it. I think it is still in print too.

Here are some excellent teaches notes produced by Walker Books. The best part of these notes, in my view, is that you will find a list of all the music that William hears each morning. In my first post I mentioned William's dad sets up some music for William to enjoy each morning over breakfast. I adore this idea.

Page 13: Up on the Roof by Carol King or The Drifters

Page 45: Forever Young by Bob Dylan
Page 51: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Page 67: That’s Just the Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby
Page 71: Comes a Time by Neil Young
Page 91: Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Page 103: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash, Jimmy Cliff or Bob Marley
Page 111: Clean Up Time by John Lennon
Page 116: I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady
Page 121: From Big Things Little Things Grow by Paul Kelly
Page 123: I Like to Move It by Sacha Baron Cohen from Madagascar
Page 126: Dance With Me by Orleans

I should also mention there is so much delicious food in this book:

"Mrs Stavros ... opened the fridge. 'I give this one to you.' She offered a long tray that held three small pastry triangles. William did not want to be rude so he chose one. The sweet gooey insides tasted of magic and he felt as though his brain might float away."

Read these beautiful words from the author Emma Cameron:

I know the joy of growing sunflowers alongside blueberries, feel a jolt inside when a bird flies into a windowpane, think dictionaries are beautiful books and hope the sky never falls down.

View from the 32nd floor by Emma Cameron

Every so often I read a book that I just love and this is one of those times.  View from the 32rd Floor had an unpromising cover but please don't let that put you off.  This is a wonderful book very reminiscent of the writing of Odo Hirsch.  This book has a strong sense of compassion and community and a cast of interesting characters led by one special boy called ...

The hero of this book is a boy called William - well that is his real name but he has a book  - The big book of Names so each day he selects a new name and his joyous family and friends do not question this - each day William announces his new name and for that whole day everyone is happy to use it.

Here are some examples :
Gregory (vigilant watchman) Faust (lucky)
Demetrius (lover of Earth) Altair (flying eagle)
Forbes (traveller) Peregrine (a falcon)
Aulis (helpful) Oswin (divine friend)

William lives in a high rise apartment opposite another high rise apartment building.  He likes to use his binoculars to check on his neighbors - not because he is a spy or a busybody - he is just interested in people and their habits.  As the book opens a new family have moved in and William notices the girl walks like a pony.  He hopes this girl, who is called Rebecca, might become his friend.  He also notices one elderly neighbor is not eating properly and another never opens her curtains.

There are some delightful little ideas in this book.  For example each night William's dad sets their CD player with a new song for William to listen to while he eats breakfast.  Another example is the way William says "Always, always."

This book is also brim full of splendid food - and if you have read any part of this blog you will know that I love books that mention food and feasts and picnics and cake!

If you enjoy View from the 32nd Floor - what am I saying WHEN you read View from the 32nd Floor you will love it and then you should look for Hazel Green by Odo Hirsch, What do you think Feezal by Elizabeth Honey and Amelia Dee and the Peacock lamp also by Odo Hirsch.

I am going to make a bold prediction and say this book should be short listed for the 2014 CBCA awards.  If you are looking for a book to read this book should be number one on your list - it is sure to make you SMILE!!