Hit the road by Tony Wilson and Troy, Adam, Joel, Scott Selwood

Ill. by Mike Jacobsen. The Selwood Boys series. ABC Books, 2017. ISBN 9780733335471
(Age: 8+) Recommended. School holidays, December 1997 and the Selwood family are off to the Gold Coast in their Falcon six-seater. Four football mad brothers and a very patient Mum and Dad set out from Bendigo for a very long car trip to Queensland. What did kids do before mobile phones, IPods and digital entertainment? The brothers played corners, sliding along the bench seats and squashing each other and long games of spot the yellow vehicle - Banana Car. Sibling rivalry and ribbing each other is all part of the Selwood family dynamic. Of course, they discuss Joel's uncanny abilities as a great sportsman, bowling, football; he's good at them all. Troy, Adam and Scott decide they find their brother's one weakness like Batman's kryptonite.
With stops along the way for food, footy and photo opportunities and a supposed sighting of Billy Brownless the Cats player, their road trip is exciting. The Selwood's have a great family spirit, they love to laugh and have fun. They see the humour when Dad's foam boogie boards fall apart on their first attempt at surfing, and when they try to outdo each other at the all you can eat Chinese restaurant. There is time for footy at the nearby park, playing against the tough NRL young guys and Joel seems to excel at everything. The rollercoaster at SeaWorld finally proves to be his kryptonite.
Tony Wilson has captured a slice of family life in the late nineties; his humorous style of writing highlights the brother's sporting skills and personalities. The Selwood Boys books are great novels to share with a Middle Primary class, as we participate in and can enjoy both Women's and Men's AFL competitions.
Rhyllis Bignell