My not-so-secret addiction!

Hey Rose,

Yes, will book you in to get rid of the puff 😉

As you know, it’s been a rather topsy-turvy time for me of late and I’ve found myself taking comfort (as is my wont) in books – ahem, particularly middle-grade fiction.

We chatted about this over lunch and you were like ‘hey – it’s your alcohol!’ A whole lot more healthy and inspiring I must say.

If I had to define what it is I love about middle-grade (MG to those in the trade) fiction it would be that the characters are usually fun and feisty rather than depressed and self-absorbed (YA), there is usually a good dollop of fun and adventure and plot-wise anything goes…

And so, here is a list of my recent literary ‘comfort food’ – I would encourage you to try but you’re too young to get nostalgic for MG fiction – hmm, or are you?

Flora Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. Let me count the ways I love this book! It starts with Flora in her room reading a comic and her Mum yelling up the stairs asking whether she’s breaching their agreement. We get so much from this beginning. For starters, there’s the rebellious kid, secretly reading comics in her room, even when her anal, controlling mother has made her sign an agreement not to . The comic – about a humble janitor who is also a superhero – foreshadows the story of Ulysses, a humble squirrel who becomes a superhero. And it goes on from there. It’s funny yet tender, has wonderful characters and a huge heart. It also seamlessly throws in bits of graphic novel – in keeping with the comic references. Love, love, love it!

Getting The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson. Can you tell by the cover that this is a period piece? I only started re-reading this last night but have read it several times previously. There is something about the lonely plight of the arrogant Laura that gets me every time. She’s a poor country bumpkin sent away to a toffy boarding school in Melbourne and struggles with friends and relationships and lies. I guess it’s when everyone turns against her that your heart breaks for her…but I’m getting into spoilers here. Another great read!

Run Pip Run by J.C.Jones. I read this partly because its received a lot of publicity and I think it’s won a CBC award. Anyway, it was another great read with a really sympathetic female character who finds herself living the life of a homeless child. In spite of the dark theme, it was tender and full of adventure. It also had a clever cat and a lovable dog that helped Pip along the way.

I mentioned Helen Garner last time but have still been dipping in (no, she doesn’t count as MG fiction) and mostly loving it.

Anyway, darling – just wanted to put it out there that this week was special because you won your first film-making award – well done you! So proud!

Love you heaps, Mum xo

About Heather Gallagher

Heather lives in Ocean Grove with her beautiful family and a dog called Pip. She has a passion for quirky stories. Her first book, Ferret on the Loose, was published in 2013 and was recently listed on the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. The book was inspired by a girl and her ferret, who Heather interviewed while working as a freelance journalist for The Sunday Age. Her column, Yak Attack, ran in the Kids View section for more than a year and allowed Heather to profile people she thought would be of interest to kids. In 2014, she released her first picture book Happy Pants – Why is mummy so sad? This is NOT a story about ferret racing. Rather, it is a heartfelt story about a boy grappling with his Mum’s post-natal depression. Heather’s stories for children have appeared in black dog books Short & Scary anthology and Explore and Challenge magazines. Heather has experience in public speaking – both for children and adults. While, promoting Happy Pants she spoke to groups of counsellors, nurses, parents and at library events. She has presented writing workshops to primary-aged children. Last year, she was a presenter at the Sacred Edge festival and the Christian Writers’ Conference.

View all posts by Heather Gallagher →