Henry Hoey Hobson by Christine Bongers
Woolshed Press. ISBN 9781 864719956.
(Ages 10+) Humour. Highly Recommended. A laugh out loud story of
fitting in, Henry's tale of not judging books by their cover will have
readers smirking wisely at the familiar path he treads when arriving at
a new school, only to discover that he is the only boy in his year
level. From then on things get decidedly worse. Mum, always one step
ahead of going under, moves often, making Henry's life at best, varied
and interesting, at worst, dangerous and fraught, with new kids who are
often unfriendly. But this time, even the neighbours give him
cause for concern. Looking like the leftovers from the set of a vampire
movie, the group moves in with a coffin, candelabra and capes. But mum,
never holding back from an opportunity, has been invited in for a meal,
and Henry, unable to dissuade her, goes along expecting that they will
be fanged. How wrong can he be, the threesome next door turn out to be
godsends, not only does Caleb go along with Henry to swimming, filling
in his time sheet, but when things go awry with mum in hospital, it is
these people who turn out to be as close as any family, giving Henry
all that he needs to keep going.
But more than this, Henry's life is changed for the better as he finds
out why mum has been moving so often and the reason behind his odd
parentage. The last few chapters turn the story on its head. What
was a wonderfully humourous story for younger readers becomes a moving
story of family and reconciliation. Have your tissues handy as Henry's
life turns from being an itinerant, fatherless child, relying on his
one and only relative, his mum, to a boy happy with his lot, having a
family on whom he can rely, next door neighbours who comfort and
support him and a school where he is revered and befriended. A treat.
Fran Knight