Description
All Jolie needs in life is a job -and an e-scooter to get her there. But when the town police launch an e-scooter blitz, Jolie and her friends begin to question the laws that restrict teens like them -teens who need the freedom only an e-scooter can offer.
Jolie and her friends Charlotte, Bronwyn and Hayley are at war with three boys in Year 9 at school. It's a love/hate relationship, where they set each other up with dares and the losers have consequences.
When the boys win a bet, the girls cry 'Unfair!' However, their plan for revenge backfires and leads to the principal banning all e-scooters from school premises and insisting students must follow government regulations, which means they can only ride a scooter with an adult. How can they get to school? To their jobs?
Jolie and her friends want to fix things, but what can they achieve on their own? Is the only person who can help the one person Jolie doesn't want to turn to?
The e-Revolution is in the Rhiza Shorts series a short read designed to engage teenage reluctant readers, including those who struggle with confidence in reading. With a reading age of 10+ and an interest age of 14+, Thee-Revolution features relatable situations and fun characters who teens can identify with. It also tackles the issues surrounding e-scooters with realism and compassion while still focusing on responsibility and safety.
Review
Jolie has lived with just her Mum since she was little girl, and is a typical teenager juggling school, family, friends and a social life. She desperately wants to get a job so that she can be more independent and buy herself the things that she knows her Mum can’t afford. She knows that if she had an e-scooter, like most of her friends, this would give her the freedom that she needs.
When one suddenly appears as a present for her birthday, Jolie cannot believe it! This is going to make her life so much easier - or so she thinks. But who sent it to her is a mystery for now.
When an ongoing feud with the boys at school sees the girls wanting revenge, they set out to make the boys pay. But little do they know the chain of events that they have started will see all of their lives turned upside down. What were they thinking?
With the rules around e-scooters now being enforced, they all try to come up with ways to raise money to pay for the fines they have received, as well as get the laws changed. But not everyone is on their side, and many want them banned altogether, given the damage that they can cause. Finding a balance and getting their point of view across is not going to be easy...
Jolie and her friends show tenacity and commitment to get their side of the situation across. They reach out to different levels of government, determined to come up with some solutions. And when one of the people involved at state parliament turns out to be someone Jolie knows, will this be a turning point in her personal life as well?
This is another great story in the Rhiza Shorts series. It is all about friendship, family, accepting the consequences of your actions, taking responsibility, advocating for change and showing conviction.
It will be enjoyed by those in lower and middle secondary, and will particularly appeal to reluctant readers.
Teacher notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
