Tales about 12 year olds

Press, 14 April 1984, Page 20

Tales about 12 year olds

(Reviewed by Elizabeth Monteath) Twelve New Zealand children’s books were published last year by Hodder and Stoughton. One of the best was “Elephant Rock,” by the Wellington author Caroline Macdonald. This is a brilliantly conceived story of how a 12-year-old girl must come to terms with her mother’s imminent death. Ann is staying in the family beach house on the West Coast with her dying mother and her mother’s nurse. As she tries to cope with the inevitable separation, she finds herself suddenly going through time-warps, possessed by the spirit of her mother at earlier ages. As frightening and dangerous as these experiences are, Ann gradually comes to realise their significance as she learns more about her mother and herself, and gains strength from this knowledge. Caroline Macdonald’s writing is concise and crisp; the story never falters and she refrains from any sentimentality. This is compulsive reading for any reader from 10 upwards. ($9.95). Mary Downing Hahn’s book “The Time of the Witch” (Collins, $3.95) shares with “Elephant Rock” a central theme of the acceptance of inevitable loss of a parent — in this case through divorce. Twelve-year-old Laura’s quest to reconcile her parents will evoke an emotional response from anyone who has endeavoured to achieve the same result, though it is unlikely that any will have shared her experiences. Laura and her five-year-old brother are sent to spend the summer with their aunt in the country while their mother looks for a job. Laura is desperately unhappy and is obsessed with somehow proving to her parents that they are making a mistake in separating. Though warned to keep away from Maude, an old woman in the area reputed to have supernatural powers, Laura seeks her help and eventually finds herself hopelessly enmeshed in Maude’s revenge on her family. The story moves along at a fast pace and is quite gripping at times — not recommended for bedtime reading, but suitable for children aged 11 and over. Another story with a 12-year-old girl as its central character is “Friends and Sisters”, by Sandy Asher (Collins, $3.50). This is a sensitive and moving, sometimes humourous account of the friendship which develops between two very different girls. Denise, a secure, bright young crusader for justice and world peace does not share her classmates’ preoccupation with boys and fashion. When Ruthie Morgenthau, a Jewish girl haunted by her parents’ involvement in the Holocaust, comes to school Denise is drawn to her and the two quickly become friends. Through Ruthie, Denise is made aware of the complexity of one of the world’s problems and realises that often the best one can do, though seemingly insignificant, is very worth while. Through offering her friendship and loyalty to Ruthie, Denise helps her to accept her Jewishness and gain strength from her realisation that she is a survivor. Although the story is somewhat sentimentalised, Sandy Asher has succeeded in presenting a “Jewish war story” set in present-day America that ■

young readers can relate to. The book is recommended for children aged 12 and over. Alison Prince’s latest story about Mill Green School; “A Spy at Mill Green,” (Armada, $3.50) is written along similar lines to her previous two books about the first form class at a large comprehensive school in Britain. In this story the newly acquired video equipment disappears and Matt and Rachel are unexpectedly involved in solving the mystery of who has stolen it. This school-cum-detective story is suitable for readers of 10 upwards. Helen Young’s book “What Difference does it Make, Danny?”, illustrated by Quentin Blake (Fontana Lions, $3.50), is a book with a message as well as being an entertaining story. At the age of two Danny is diagnosed as having epilepsy, but with proper medication his fits become infrequent and he leads an ordinary life. At school the teachers treat him no differently from the other children. He is bright and good at sports, and is encouraged to participate until his new sports master finds out about his epilepsy. The teacher is frightened that Danny might not be able to cope with the stress involved in competitions and bans him from swimming and using the gym. Danny is incensed by these restrictions and he dreams of revenge. He becomes insolent and unco-operative. On the day he decides to play truant fate is on his side and he finds himself involved in a situation which proves to all that he can cope admirably in a crisis. In this short book Helen Young does much to alleviate the fears of epilepsy and provides information on how to deal with someone who is having an epileptic fit. It is a valuable book for school libraries and for anyone who might be in contact with a person with epilepsy. It is suitable for readers aged eight and over.