Description
A gently funny yet powerful coming-of-age middle grade novel about surviving the odds, unlikely friendships and the magical music of Elvis.
It's not eggsactly easy being Jimmy Baxter 'cause-
The real Jimmy's hiding inside
Ned Kelly's giving him the evil eye
Mum's stopped going to work and stays in bed
There's no eggs in the fridge - or anything else.
AND there's new jobs, bad-at-school brains and a whole lot of trouble called Duke.
But then . . . there's Mac.
Review
Eleven-year-old Jimmy is happy to be going on a holiday with his Mum and Mrs Jessop. Dad will come later he thinks. But he soon realises that something is amiss when Mrs J leaves, and his Mum dyes both of their hair, and tells him that he will now go by the name Jimmy Baxter.
When Dad arrives drunk and yelling and hits Jimmy’s Mum, Jimmy decides that is enough is enough,and hits his Dad back. His Dad just laughs at him and tells them that he will be back later to take them home. But Jimmy has other ideas – he thinks they should get on a bus and get as far away from his Dad as possible - so Mungo Creek is where they land.
But life is still not exactly as good as they hoped. Mum gets a job, but spends too much time at home in the dark to work much, and Jimmy get bullied at school. With no food in the fridge, Jimmy decides to apply for jobs. He does his Mum’s job at the supermarket a couple of days a week and gets a job at the pub washing dishes as well. He becomes friendly with Mac, an old bloke who lives on the outskirts of town. They help each other, and Mac teaches Jimmy to try to find things in his life that make him happy.
When Jimmy's teacher Ms Anna Smith, who Jimmy adores, sends her doctor fiance to their house and he prescribes some medication for Jimmy’s Mum, things slowly take a turn for the better. But will they find a way out of the darkness and into a more hopeful future?
A great story, with themes of domestic violence and depression. Jimmy is resourceful, and I enjoyed his naivety and ability to get on, and I am sure his story will particularly resonate with reluctant lower secondary readers.
Teacher Notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
Reviewed by Rob
