Marcie Gill and the caravan park cat by Monica McInerney. Illus. by Danny Snell

Ten-year-old Marcie and the Gill family own and live in a caravan park on the shores of beautiful Snorkel Bay. They are preparing for an influx of summer holidaymakers. However, things aren’t going too well. Her beloved Gran is in hospital, unsuccessfully recovering from a hip operation after falling on the jetty, and her parents are fighting. Marcie must look after Gran’s cat George and help with chores around the park. She eavesdrops on her mother’s conversation to find that they are in financial trouble, since her father invested all their savings in a scam. Marcie feels that she must fix this on her own since her brother Fred is only interested in his fish and older sister Jemima is obsessed with tennis. She devises ways to help ease the financial burden and get her parents back together. A recently arrived teenager called Claude becomes a helpful ally. More importantly Marcie gets very special, slightly magical, help from Gran and George.

This gentle charming story has a light tone despite the troubles Marcie faces. It most certainly is not mired in angst and pessimism. Marcie is kind and thoughtful and readers will empathise with her and hope her plans succeed. Readers will also find her siblings, Fred and Jemima, readily identifiable. Annoying siblings who annoy and tease her, lie, and use up her things. Yet Fred and Jemima, and George the cat also add humour. Monica McInerney has successfully turned her writing talents to a young audience of 8+ years. This is well pitched, and the magical elements are just right. There are subtle themes of sustainability and caring for the ocean but also a strong theme of family love. There is quite an emphasis on art in the story, so Danny Snell’s very appealing illustrations and the great jacket design definitely complement the writing.

Themes: Love, Family, Environment, Art.

Jo Marshall