Ten year old Abel Jackson and his mother, Dora, live by the sea at Longboat Bay on land that has been in their family for generations. Abel's father died when Abel was two - he disappeared while pearl diving and his body was never found. They live off the land and the sea, without any modern amenities. Abel is a dreamy boy, and his mind wanders - he thinks about the huge groper who lives in the sea where he and his mother dive. Blueback, the groper, has become his playmate and Abel desperately wants to know what the fish has seen, and what he thinks. Abel dreams of studying fish when he grows up.Whenever Abel needs to leave Longboat Bay to study, he misses his mother, the life and the sea, and swimming with Blueback. Dora is alone, handling all the dramas that arise with greedy fishermen, and businessmen who have no respect for the beautiful and precious environment.
When Abel leaves school, he goes to university and becomes a marine biologist so he can 'figure out the sea'.
Without giving away spoilers, I will just say that the story has a happy conclusion, and Abel realises that he didn't need to leave home to 'figure out the sea' - that his mother had it all figured out all along.
This book is beautifully written, with lovely descriptions of the land and the sea. In some ways it sounds like a dream life, but you can't forget that it is hard work, and sometimes lonely. The themes are of the love and respect between a mother and her son, and of protecting the environment, particularly the sea and sea life. I think it is engrossing realistic fiction and it's something different for children from 9 years. The chapters are short and manageable, and I think it will inspire a child to imagine a different type of life.
Title: Blueback
Author: Tim Winton
ISBN: 9780143202837
Published: 2009
Publisher: Penguin Group
If you are looking for a really special picture book to read
to your preschool children, I can strongly recommend Debi Gliori’s No Matter What. The
book is about a little fox who is having a grumpy and anxious day, feeling very
unloved. His mother notices his unhappy mood and responds by giving him lots of
attention, reassuring him that she will always love him, ‘no matter what’. Not
convinced, the little fox gives her lots of ‘what ifs?’ and the large fox
cuddles her little cub while she answers his questions and quells his anxiety,
making him feel loved and secure.