Mister Cassowary (Samantha Wheeler, UQP)

Flynn has never visited his grandfather’s banana farm and is not terribly excited by the prospect of spending his holidays in the remote beachside town of Mission Beach. However, when he discovers two baby cassowaries in the swamp near the farm, things become interesting. Add to that the mystery surrounding his grandfather’s death and Flynn may not be so bored after all. He wants to know the truth and is determined to show his dad that he’s no longer a little kid. This is a lovely story for middle to upper-primary readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a little mystery thrown in. Samantha Wheeler expertly captures the frustrations felt by a child on the cusp of adolescence—wanting desperately to be taken seriously, but still seen as a little kid. Having a fly-in-fly-out dad doesn’t help, and the relationship between Flynn and his dad is at the core of the novel. There is also a strong theme of conservation that make this a useful resources for classroom discussions about the environment. This is recommended for readers who enjoy Jen Storer’s ‘Truly Tan’ and Kate Hunter’s ‘Mosquito Advertising’ books, as well as Wheeler’s previous novels. 

Erin Wamala is the manager of The Kids’ Bookshop and a qualified teacher-librarian

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews