The Children’s Book Council of Australia lists its winner for young adults ages 13-18 as the young adult novel Take Three Girls, by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, and Fiona Wood (2018). The story follows three girls, all of very different personalities and expected futures. Ady, Kate, and Clem originally do not know each other, however after hearing their stories individually, they are brought together through the Year 10 Wellness program, which aims to have them confront their problems, and teach them various life skills. Although all of the girl’s home lives and problems are very different, with them all being of different social classes, and their home life problems varying from alcoholism, to abuse, they are brought together when discovering they are all facing similar problems of extreme cyber-bullying. Throughout the story, the girls are brought together, while exploring topics of friendship, belonging, and identity (Coates, 2017).
One of the honorable mentions included in the award ceremony was Malley Boys, by Charlie Archbold, which is a yearlong story following fifteen-year-old Sandy, after his mother is killed in a car accident, while Chasing his brother Red, after he leaves home. Both boys feel responsible for the accident, and their father does his best to make up for the hole in their lives by applying a strong adult voice that they can latch on to. Although there is a lot of conflict between the brothers throughout the novel, they eventually understand each other’s similarities and differences, and start to move past their mother’s death. The novel explores themes of identity, differences, and possessions and has an overarching sense of grief throughout the plot (Archbold, 2017).
A second honorable mention for young adult novels was In the Dark Spaces, by Cally Black. This novel focuses on Tamara, a fourteen-year-old orphan whose parents died of a plague, and she must be taken aboard a space freighter with her aunt, where she is not allowed. The novels main plot explores aliens and myths, that represent the bridging of cultures and acceptance of differences. Although the novel explores dark themes such as torture and extreme survival conditions, the ending celebrates differences, and becomes a story of loyalty, truth, and kindness (Fitzgerald, 2018).
While all of these novels explore different problems, characters, settings, and many other aspects of a young adult novel, they all have themes surrounding being kind to one another and acceptance. The winner’s chosen represent a diverse collection of Australian young adult novels that explore various themes of adolescent lives, while keeping a consistent theme of generosity, and acceptance.
Works Cited
2018 Book of the Year Award Winners, The Children’s Book Council of Australia. (2018). Retrieved from https://cbcacloud.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/BookOfTheYear/2018/Awards 2018_final_no embargo.pdf.
Archbold, Charlie (2018). Mallee boys. Sydney, N.S.W.: Read How You Want.
Coates, Bronte (2017, August 21). Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood. Retrieved from https://www.readings.com.au/review/take-three-girls-by-cath-crowley-simmone-howell-and-fiona-wood.
Fitzgerald, Elizabeth (2018, April 25). Book Review: In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black. Retrieved from https://skiffyandfanty.com/blogposts/reviews/bookreviews/reviewinthedarkspaces/.