Brilliant Bites for boys: Four favourite Bites just for boys!
By Jane Godwin, Danny Katz, Jen Storer, and Patricia Wrightson.
Penguin, Australia: 2013. ISBN 9780143307808.
The Aussie Bites series has been around for years, and
proved valuable in the transition of young readers to chapter books
and easily identified by the unique bite from the top right corner
which has now become a cover feature only. With a huge variety of
titles and great Australian authors they, along with their companion
series Aussie Nibbles and Chomps have been very
popular in school libraries.
This book is a collection of four of the Bites stories
popular with boys. The short stories with their excellent supporting
illustrations, which have been a feature of the series, create a
balance between the more serious topics of Rattlers Place
and The Day I Turned Ten and the more humorous treatment of
The Parents are Revolting and Sing Pepi Sing.
Rattlers Place by Patricia Wrightson explores what it is like
to move away from all that is familiar. Guy especially misses his
dog Digby and his toys which have yet to arrive. He explores his new
surroundings and solves the mystery of 'Rattlers Place' written on
the back fence.
Sing, Pepi, Sing by Jen Storer is the story of Pepi the
Mexican walking fish whose singing creates a sensation in Tony and
Lola's restaurant. When the loan sharks come to collect the money
owed to them it's either give them Pepi or lose everything. Pepi has
to decide where he really wants to be in Hollywood, Mexico or with
Tony and Lola.
The Day I Turned Ten by Jane Godwin begins as any other day
for Jeremy, excited that it is his birthday. Nothing is going to
upset him, not even baby brother Oliver or having to wait to open
his presents. Then Oliver goes missing and Jeremy feels responsible.
What a birthday!
The Parents are Revolting by Danny Katz is a lesson in what
happens when parents decide to act as parents rather than slave to
their children's every whim and demand. The parents might revolt,
but it is the children who are revolting.
The original stories have stood the test of time and as a collection
will be just as popular.
Sue Keane