Book Review: Shimmer

Shimmer, by Jennifer McBride and Lynda Nixon, is an Australian children’s novel.  Jennifer McBride is a mother and wife who was born and raised in Western Australia. Her favorite genres, whether she’s reading, writing, or watching movies, are fantasy and science fiction. When McBride is not writing, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. Lynda Nixon is a writer who fell in love with books after she read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As a teenager, Nixon knew she wanted to be a writer. Nixon also lives in Western Australia. Aside from writing, she enjoys spending time with her family at home. Shimmer was the first book that both of these authors wrote. They decided to co-author the children’s book after they both decided it was time to follow their dreams outside of their families. Shimmer is the story of a genie, Kora, and a human boy, David, who learn that they have more power when they join forces.

Kora is a very powerful genie who is heir to the Genesian throne. Her father and the High Council decide that is is best for everyone that Kora get banished to Earth to keep her safe and away from an evil half human and half genie man named Vennum. They told her that she needed to first learn how to serve to be able to learn how to rule. David is a teenage boy on Earth who accidents summon Kora when he finds her globe in a pile of rocks. Many things are going wrong in his life, and Kora’s powers may just be the answer to all his problems. David soon finds out that commanding Kora to do things for him is very difficult because she does not want to be on Earth, and she is an angry teenage girl. They have to be within one hundred meters of each other at all time, which they find hard when they want to live their own lives. When both of their families are in danger, they decide that they best way to themselves is to join together.

This novel was well written, and it allowed me to see some differences and similarities between Australian and American children’s literature. I was able to compare Shimmer to some fantasy books that I read when I was a child. A big thing that I noticed while reading this book was the language used. I could easily compare the spelling and language in this book to books that I have read that are published in the United States. Although Americans and Australians both speak English, the spelling and the way some phrases were worded was much different than how an American would speak and write. There were some words in the text that I did not understand what it meant, and I had to look up or read further to try to understand what the word meant. Even though this book is fantasy, it had some real-life experiences that a teenager or, even, a child may go through. These experiences that Kora and David go through can be very real for both American children and Australian children. The reader is able to watch as Kora and David learn to work together and learn more about each other. They show compassion for each other, and they begin to be friends towards the end of the story. The relationships and lifestyles that the characters are in and live are very similar to the types of relationships and lifestyles that are in an American society. I believe that American children would be able to relate to this story because the societies are similar. This book is fantasy fiction, but if we were to strip back all of the fiction portions of the book, the story would still be about a young, teenage girl and a young, teenage boy. It would be about how they overcome struggles and defeat their challenges. The American children who read this book would be able to relate to it some sort of way and understand the struggles that this story tells. The children would be able to use their context clues to figure out what certain words mean in the book to fully understand what all is going on. When I chose this book, I thought it would be an interesting story, and it seemed like it would be enjoyable. It seemed very similar to books that I have read in my past. As I read the book, I found that it was similar to the books that I have read. The language used in the book was the only big difference that I noticed. There were some words that I found hard to understand, but by using my context, I could figure out what the author was writing about. For a child, this book would have similarities to books that have been published in America.

After reading this book by Jennifer McBride and Lynda Nixon, I would say that I would read another one of their books. The way they described everything happening in the book made me actually see and hear everything. They put so much detail into the book; it almost seemed, as though, I could create a movie in my head with their words. The way they wrote the book was so similar to the way American books are written that a child may not even realize that it was written in a different country. McBride and Nixon created this world of Genesia, where Kora is from, and they made it seem so beautiful, and it made the reader want to go there. This book showed more similarities than it did differences between America and Australia. This novel allows children to see how important it is to work together and persevere in times of struggle. It shows children what it means to put someone else’s needs before your own. I would recommend this book to older children who enjoy reading fantasy. I think it would also beneficial for children who do not like fantasy as much too. I think it it is a very interesting book that makes you want to continue reading. Shimmer is an interesting and descriptive story about Kora, a genie, and David, a human boy, and what it truly means to work together. They are faced with many challenges, but they join forces and realize that it is better to work together than apart.

McBride, Jennifer and Lynda Nixon. Shimmer. Fremantle Press, 2013. Print.