Wednesday, April 25, 2012

New children's novel from leading Australian author Simon French


Other Brother
By Simon French

Kieran wants to be part of the in-group at school. He wants to be on the football team. He wants to fit in.
But then his cousin Bon turns up. Bon doesn’t know anything about fitting in – he looks different, he wears the wrong clothes and he says weird things. Kieran just wants to ignore Bon, but soon he is forced to make a choice. Which is more important: being popular or doing the right thing?

Combines topical issues of bullying, acceptance and friendships into a sensitive story.This is a special book.

Simon French grew up in Sydney’s west, and had his first novel published while he was still at high school. He is a primary school teacher in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales and has written several novels and picture books, published in Australia and overseas. His work is praised by critics and has won several awards, including the 1987 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for All We Know. Change the Locks was an Honour Book in 1992. His most recent novel, Where in the World, won the 2003 NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature, was short-listed for the 2003 CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers, and long-listed for the 2003 Guardian Childrens Fiction Prize.
  
Publication date: April 2012
AUS$ Price: $18.95
NZ$ Price: $21.99
Age 9+

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just finished reading this wonderful, sensitive story to a class of 31 (mainly 9 year old boys). The discussions generated were outstanding and encompassed; peer group pressure and acceptance, empathy, family dynamics and, most significantly, the cruelty of bullying and the necessity for decent children to take a stand and be accountable.

Keiren felt different..................because he did what was right and made a difference.

Line up of children from other classes that want to borrow my copy.