Into the blue by Cristy Burne

Like many of Cristy Burne's other short chapter books (Off the Track, Beneath the Trees, To the Lighthouse), Into the Blue centres around natural environments, contemporary family life and low-level relatable adventures. Scattered black and white illustrations make this an approachable novel for independent readers moving away from highly-illustrated books. The grabbing first line 'How much spit is in the ocean?', leads into a personal dilemma for young Blair that sees him being eaten away with the guilt and shame of a silly mistake. 

Blair and his cousin Drew embark on an adventurous school holiday outing, snorkeling on a shipwreck. But the day turns to disaster when Blair loses his older brother's GoPro. He cycles from panic to anger; 'If only Marcus had put his GoPro away properly, like mum told him to. Instead he'd left it lying around temptingly. What was Blair supposed to do?' Mum is always busy and no time seems right to tell her. Then the inevitable happens...'You seen my GoPro?', Marcus asks. What should he say? He goes over all the options and none seem good. To complicate the situation, he and his brother used to be close but they aren't anymore - how can he possibly own up? He feels that nothing can undo what he's done. His feelings and thoughts will be relatable for young ones who know just how it feels when you damage or lose someone else's property and aren't quite sure how to take responsibility; 'Mum and Dad will be furious', 'Marcus is totally going to kill him' and 'He'll probably be banned from ever having screen time again' are just some of his projections on the situation. Eventually, some Nan wisdom helps and Blair accepts his mistake and responsibility and moves on with his supportive family. Teaching notes and a teaching activity are available from the publisher, and resources from the author.

Themes: Responsibility, Guilt, Family Stories.

Nicole Nelson