Written in verse, this book are the memories from the perspective of each the characters in the story. It is about a country town and how small acts of kindness go a long way to keeping a community alive.
In a country town, in a school just like yours, the kids in Class 6A tell their stories. There's Mick, school captain and sometimes trouble-maker, he often finds himself in front of Mr Hume being asked to explain his actions. However, secretly Mr Hume has a soft spot for Mick, but he must be seen doing his job in speaking to him. Mick just wants to make the school a better place, while his younger brother Jacob just wants to fly (often coming to grief). Mick is protective of his brother.
There's shy and lonely Laura who hopes to finally fit in with a circle of friends although she keeps her distance at lunchtime by sitting alone on the chair (made by Mr Korsky) made under the tree.
Pete struggles to deal with his grandpa's sudden death and confides in the birds as he daily leaves an apple wedged in the tree for the birds to eat.
Popular Selina obsesses over class comedian Cameron, while Cameron obsesses over Anzac biscuits and Pookie Aleera - whoever that is! For new teacher Ms Arthur, it's another world moving from a city school to a country school where everyone knows everyone’s business and if they don't they will fabricate events as they see them. Hence the man, seen as Ms Arthur's, with the pony tail and t shirt bearing the name Pookie Aleera is supposedly Ms Arthur's boyfriend.
As for Mr Korsky, the school groundskeeper, he's seen it all before. He grew up in this small town ans is somewhat like a grandfather figure to the children. We hear of his crook back (caused by Jacob falling onto him as he was learning to fly), his picking out apples wedged between the branches of the tree until he finds a note to leave it there for the birds also of his love of lavender bushes as they soothe the soul. A main thread is the friendship with the deceased Mr Walter Baxter and how Mr Korsky misses his chats with him and his death gets him thinking of his own time to come.
My favourite character is Senior Constable Dawe, his visits to the school and the interaction between him and the children. Being a teacher myself I can relate to how the children take most things literally e,g Dawe, no I’m not like a door my named is pronounced like the word door. No you don't spell it Door you spell it Dawe because that is the way it is. No, I don't want to change it to Door, let’s get on with why I’m here, water safety.
Brilliant book, guaranteed to make you laugh, feel an emotional Ohhing and Ahhing as well as realise the power of home baking, recipes in the back of the book for Cameron's Delicious Anzac biscuits and Laura's Chocolate Crackles. ( )