Spirit of the Crocodile (Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White, A&U)

Spirit of the Crocodile is a memorable upper-middle-grade novel by Torres Strait Islander actor and director Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker (who previously collaborated as co-writers of Fa’Aoso’s adult memoir, So Far, So Good, after being paired up by their agents), with consultant editor Lyn White. Ezra is a boy who loves to muck around with his best friend, Mason, and he loves his life on Saibai with his family and their extensive knowledge of the land and waters. Ezra is anxious about his upcoming transition to high school – on Thursday Island, away from home – and about growing up, as he starts to recognise he needs to make more responsible decisions despite loving a dare. This mature and nuanced story deals extensively with climate change, particularly around the injustices faced by low-lying island communities. Ezra’s community members are sometimes angry about the changes they are witnessing, and the stakes are high in a destructive out-of-season storm. At times, the story reads as explaining Torres Strait Islander life and culture to uninformed readers, but this also bolsters the sense of Ezra’s growth into a young man of his culture as his father and uncle include him in men’s business. Spirit of the Crocodile will be a brilliant classroom text, sitting alongside works by Gary Lonesborough and Kirli Saunders, while also being one of a growing range of middle-grade Torres Strait Islander books.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Clare Millar is a writer, editor and children's bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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

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