Blurb from the author web page: Eleven-year-old Oli is spending his school holidays at Heroes Club, where kids can build friendships and learn about their emotions, but Oli just wants to be home … where it's familiar, not-so-boring and he can play his favourite game. But when Oli and the other kids at the club see a stray dog who keeps disappearing into a soon-to-be-demolished building across the street, Oli and his four fellow heroes hatch a daring rescue plan to save the dog before it's too late. It's going to take bravery, some seriously smart teamwork … and a few broken rules.
One of the best insights into Oli's autism comes when he talks about his sensory issues - fabric of his clothing that at times feels so uncomfortable; the smells around him good and bad - he has an acute sense of every smell; bright lights; and of course, noise. Oli is also a boy who needs routines, and I loved the way his mother and sister were able to accommodate this. His sister only has a small role in this story but I did want to offer her a hug for her kindness and deep understanding of her brother. I also wanted to know a little more about each of the kids in the club - especially Brian; Layla and Max.
The Unlikely Heroes Club is a 2024 CBCA Notable title in the Younger Readers category. I did shed a tear at the end when all the kids in the Heroes Club write honest appraisals of each group member.
My only reservation with this book is that I feel it is important to know Oli will still be Oli at the end of the story - this club experience is not designed to 'cure' Oli but rather to give him coping strategies and also the extra benefit of making new friends who also find aspects of daily life difficult.
CBCA Judges comments: Contemplating the world from the perspective of 11-year-old Oli, the reader of this book vicariously joins Oli, his family, peers and therapists as they participate in a holiday program. The program supports young people to build social skills and develop friendships with other neurodiverse preteens. However, they learn the best from their team effort to rescue a stray dog, which adds mystery and intrigue. The love and struggle of families living with autism are presented in a way that is humorous whilst being painfully close to the truth. This book affirms autism and provides a nuanced view for those seeking a better understanding. Its design features are age-appropriate and engaging. A delight to read, it sensitively explores inclusion, respect, challenge, acceptance, family relationships, and neurodiversity.
"His head was filled with questions. Were his footsteps like earthquakes for tiny bugs in the grass. Why was an apple called an apple and cake called cake? What if everyone slept during the day and stayed awake at night?"
One day he sees a white balloon floating in the sky. How long will it float? Will it float forever? Where will it come down? What if the wind blows it higher? Where does the sky end? His mother uses the word forever and so Leo's fascination with space, the universe, aliens, and other worlds begins.
"The whole sky - all that endless space - was suddenly inside him, filling his chest until he thought he might burst. It was the most exciting thing he had ever heard."
Other kids don't exactly reject Leo, but he just doesn't fit in at school. Games are confusing, he takes a long while to answer questions, and all that noise from crowds of kids are just too much for young Leo. Then one day Ralph arrives. Actually, he turns up when Leo sees another white balloon in the tree outside his room. Ralph has come from another planet. Ralph is the perfect friend. Now Leo can cope with life, and he no longer needs to worry that he is disappointing his mum and dad. But Ralph does tell Leo he will stay for "as long as you need me." Does this mean one day Ralph will need to leave?
Allison Tait was also deeply affected by this book - she says it contains a stunning "depiction of loneliness and not fitting in and trying to follow the instructions of well-meaning parents and the sheer overwhelm of trying to make a friend when you're not sure how.""It's a wonderful ode to the power of the imagination."Your Kids Next Read podcast from [10.36- 14.49].
I went to the post office on Friday and there were three parcels waiting for collection. One was this book sent by the publisher University of Queensland Press. I can hardly describe the wonderful experience of reading this book this morning. Peter Carnavas has done it again! There is just the right amount of tension in this story to keep you turning the page and just the right depth of emotion. I cared so much about young Leo - I almost held my breath through the first fifty pages. Things are so hard for young Leo. I also needed those hugs that Peter Carnavas includes in the story from mum, dad, his little sister Peg and especially from Ralph.
I know it is very early in the year, but I am certain this book will be a CBCA (Children's Book of Australia) Younger Readers notable title and surely it will also make the short list. Leo and Ralph will be published on 1st March, 2024.
There are so many FABULOUS things about this book - the writing, the character of Leo, his journey through this early part of his life and the beautifully expressive writing of Peter Carnavas. Here are a few phrases which I loved reading:
"Leo stood in the playground in the shade of his big bucket hat. He looked like a tiny beach umbrella."
"Inside his belly, a thick lump of worry washed away like a fistful of sand in the ocean."
'Dundle was orange-brown. And oven-hot. As Leo stood with his family on the footpath of the main street, he felt like a blob of dough crisping into a biscuit."
I also love the wonderful teachers in this story. Every teacher is kind to Leo and accepting of Ralph culminating with Ms Pengari his Grade Four teacher who wears crazy costumes every day (rather like Ms Frizzle from The Magic School bus series). Her clothes match the class topic. Below are a few descriptions. I know Peter Carnavas is a teacher - I wonder if he might be just like Ms Pengari or perhaps he worked with a colleague like her. I do hope she is a real person. So often I read books about 'out of step kids' like Leo and their teachers are totally demonized. I just wanted to meet and hug every one of Leo's teachers and thank them for their kindness.
Here are some descriptions of Ms Pengari:
"A woman stepped out, wearing a flowery Hawaiian shirt, fluoro yellow boardshorts and a pair of slippers. She had rainbow zinc stiped across her face and she wore a big floppy hat and sunglasses."
"She wore a back witch's hat and carried a plastic wand, ready for the next lesson about the magic of measurement."
"She wore and eyepatch and a pirate hat and waved a plastic sword. 'Yarrrr! What's taking ye so long? we're about to set sail to the land of fractions."
"She wore a pair of pilot's goggles strapped to her head - they were supposed to be flying to the twin islands of Area and Perimeter ..."
I am sure you know the expression show don't tell - there are two utterly wonderful examples of this in Leo and Ralph - one has to do with Leo's friend Gus and the other is something his mother says close to the end of the book - a precious moment of connection that is sure to make you smile.
Leo and Ralph will arrive in schools over the coming weeks. It is a title that has been included in several standing order selections.
If you read this book with an older reader (say 10+) try to find The Watertower by Gary Crew - I had the illustrations in this book in my mind when Leo saw the strange water tower in his new town of Dundle.
I do really enjoy books about imaginary friends. My all-time favourite is O'Diddy but it is a very old book and long long out of print sadly.
Here are the two other junior novels by Peter Carnavas - every Primary school library in Australia (and beyond) should also add these to their library collection.
Books like Loser are very hard to read - emotionally - yet you will find yourself turning the pages perhaps, as I did, all in one sitting. You will know early in the story, early in his life, Donald Zinkoff is destined to fail, to suffer awful bullying, to be utterly confused by other people. They even name him loser. Zinkoff isalmost oblivious to this pain but readers will feel it and feel it keenly.
"In many ways that teacher Biswell can see, the Z boy is a shambles. ... He is even at odds with his own body. ... Hardly a day goes by when he does not fall flat on his face for no apparent reason."
Donald is not picked for sport teams, he accidentally ruins the class team's chance of winning on the school sport day, he is totally out of sync in the school band, he only scores low marks in class and he has nightmare handwriting but his parents love him unconditionally and, mostly, he does manage to embrace life despite the little chinks that appear from time to time. I think many children should meet Zinkoff and perhaps walk a mile or two in his shoes - this might make our world a kinder place.
I think this is also an important book for teachers. Spinelli paints a harsh picture of some teachers who cannot cope with this special boy but luckily in Year 4 he meets the wonderful Mr Yalowitz.
Loser is not a new book - it was first published in 2002. I will share it with one of our teachers who is planning a unit of work around the book Wonder. Loser seems better suited to her middle primary group. You can read a sample of the story here.
I do like the honest writing style of Jerry Spinelli - especially Stargirl and Jake and Lilly.
