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The Book Chook

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Children’s Book Review, Being Jack
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 10:00 AM PST

Reviewed by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com

Being Jack was written by Susanne Gervay, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox, and published by Harper Collins Australia, 2014.

From the publisher:

Jack is in Year 6 now and still loves his photography, surfing, and crazy family. Things are going well for him, particularly at school where he isn’t bullied any more. But he notices that his best friend Christopher is being taunted and is starting to miss school and hiding out and avoiding everyone. And when a football match turns ugly and Jack and Christopher witness some unfair dirty play, they know that, again, the bullying has to stop. Ages: 9+.

I very much enjoyed the earlier Jack books: I am Jack, Super Jack and Always Jack. I also adored Monkey Baa Theatre’s performance of I am Jack. Being Jack, the final book in the series, sees our hero Jack at almost 13, an immensely likeable and believable character. I think that’s one of the reasons kids relate so well to the Jack books – they can see themselves in Jack. His life is like theirs. He interacts with good friends, kids at school, teachers, and relatives. Jack loves his family but is often flabbergasted by their behaviour and their idiosyncrasies.

Gervay knows how to make kids laugh, and humour there is, as well as drama and lots of moments for kids to think about and discuss. We see inside Jack’s head and feel what he feels. The present tense makes everything immediate, often almost like a stream of consciousness as Jack is bewildered by chaotic thoughts and real problems. How can he best help his mate, Christopher? Should he try to find and contact his real dad? How will that impact those he loves?

The illustrations by Cathy Wilcox are minimal because this is a novel. But the little black and white sketches add a real charm to the story, and may help younger readers not to be daunted by the amount of text. I hope so, because this, like all the Jack books, is such a great read!

In Being Jack, Gervay challenges us to think about bullying in all its forms. No longer tortured by bullies as he was in I am Jack, nevertheless, Jack has hard decisions to make about being a witness to bullying. For children, for all of us, these are important issues to think about, making Being Jack not just a book kids will very much enjoy, but one that nudges them towards taking responsibility for their own actions.

The post “Gervay challenges us to think about bullying in all its forms” – Review appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Can you believe that ‘I Am Jack’ came into the world 12 years ago?

He’s grown into ‘Super Jack’ and ‘Always jack’ and has had many reprints.

Written after my son was bullied at school, it seeks to make life safer for kids, families and communities:-

-Embraced by kids, families and schools across Australia.

-Endorsed by beautiful organisations that partner kids on that rocky journey of life:-

-Room to Read – www.roomtoread.org

-The Alannah & Madeline Foundation – www.amf.org.au

-Life Education Australia – www.lifeeducation.org.au

-The Cancer Council – www.cancercouncil.com.au

JACK’s just been released in the USA by Kane Miller Books

Has been translated into Korean, Slovenian and Bahasa (Indonesia).

The brilliant adaptation of I Am Jack by Monkey Baa Theatre will be having another season at the Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre Darling Harbour Sydney 11-16th March 2013

It should be touring the USA in 2014 – www.monkeybaa.com.au

It is now in  development as a feature film – the 3 JACKS – with plans to film later next year.

Watch out for I AM JACK the movie.

Jack and his family and friends wish you all a joyous Christmas and New Year.

Had two fantastic days hosted by the Taree Library.

They combined my visit as an ambassador for the National Year of Reading with The Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea.

Check out the website: www.love2read.org

I shared ‘Always Jack’ which carries the Cancer Council’s yellow daffodil with enthusiastic readers at Harrington and Halliday’s Point Libraries.

Spoke about Room to read bringing literacy to the children of the developing world. www.roomtoread.org

Thankyou to my fabulous Taree Library host Tanya McLean.

Great to catch up with Di Emms the librarian at Halliday’s Point Library.  She hosted me a decade ago at the library at Foster-Tuncurry

The North Coast is so beautiful.

Libraries, libraries, libraries – you’ve got to LOVE them.

They’re spreading the reading message and as an ambassador for The National Year of Reading, I’m speaking at writers’ festivals, book launches, libraries, schools, bookshops.

Is it fantastic? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Here’s a snapshot of my May tours for The National Year of Reading  - www.love2read.org

4-6th May ~ Keynote at the Gloucester Writers festival –  www.gloucesterwritersfestival.com

6th May – Launch at Gloucester Festival  of   ‘Alien Shores’ an anthology of refugees narratives that reach into struggles, humour, life of finding home with authors including speaking Sharon Rundle and Andrew Kwong. I’ll be speaking about my story.

17th -18th May -Coff’s Harbour region speaking at schools and the Catholic Diocese of Lismore in Northern NSW Teacher-Librarian Conference

20th May – Melbourne for the launch of Alien Shores by the Human Rights QC Julian Burnside with authors, Arnold Zable, Sharon Rundle, Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Susanne Gervay at 6 p.m. Readings Bookstore Carlton. http://www.readings.com.au/review/alien-shores-by-sharon-rundle-meenakshi-bharat-eds

22nd May – Launching Alien Shores in Sydney at The Hughenden Hotel with authors Linda Jailin, Sophie Masson, Sharon Rundle, Rosie Scott with the Consul General of India www.thehughenden.com.au

23rd May- Randwick Library in Sydney for Simultaneous Reading Time where ambassadors will read to parents and littlies across Australia – can’t wait, it’s going to be gorgeous!  http://www.alia.org.au/nss/

24-May – Taree Library speaking about ‘Always Jack’ for the Biggest Morning Tea in support of the Cancer Council at Taree Library brought up by the Australian Library and Information Association

25th May -Halliday’s Point Library on North Coast NSW

28th May – speaking at 10 am in Warringah Library in Sydney’s Northern Beaches about my first picture book ‘Ships in the Field’.

29th May – Teacher Librarian Conference at Maroubra Junction Public School Sydney

That’s my MAY spreading the National Year of Reading Celebration of Books!

Love you to come along and chat to me, or log onto the www.lovetoread.org website and joi