Book of the Week

The Thing About Oliver, Author: Deborah Kelly

Tilly lives with her severely autistic brother Oliver and her work-weary mother. Her passion for marine science is signaled early on but her world is turned upside-down when the family moves from a dry rural town to live with an aunt on the tropical coast of Far North Queensland. The setting is vividly evoked through effective description. The change of circumstances creates new tensions for the already challenged family. Tilly is a plausible protagonist whose first-person narration does not slip from reflecting her age and emotion. Young readers will empathize when her mother is unable to take her to swimming lessons, undermining her goal of becoming a marine scientist, and when Oliver destroys her precious ‘aqua journal’. Tilly’s love for her brother never wavers, and the depiction of Oliver’s autistic behavior is realistic. The story generates significant emotional response while keeping the writing age appropriate. The plot builds to a suspenseful climax when Oliver goes missing. The characteristics of autism are explored skillfully and sensitively, as are the themes of disability, parenting, and family relationships.

Premier's Reading Challenge

Premier’s Reading Challenge closes on Friday 18^th September – only 4 weeks to go!

A reminder about our Library Borrowing Rules:

• each class has a regular, scheduled weekly Library time;
• all books are due back to the Library one week after they were borrowed.

We will send a courtesy reminder email to parents/caregivers when your child/s books are overdue.  Kindly return borrowed books on time to the Library so that they are available for other students to borrow and enjoy the pleasure of reading them.