The Book Tree - Kerry Gittins original stories, poetry and book reviews.
  • Home
    • About and Contact
  • Poetry
  • Book Reviews
  • With This Book We Can Podcast

Book Reviews

The Bravest Word by Kate Foster

1/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Matty has everything going for him - a loving family, great friends, great skills on the soccer field and pretty good grades at school - which should add up to a great life right? Well they did, until recently. When soccer season started this year Matty found he couldn't get himself onto the pitch without sweaty palms, a racing heartbeat and a mind that kept telling him he wasn't good enough. And he couldn't figure out why. Things got worse when he began dodging his friends calls and texts, missing birthday parties, not doing homework and avoiding school. He felt guilty, scared, angry and sad with himself, and all he really wanted to do was sleep the world away. But one morning his dad convinced him to go for a walk in the local national park where they came across an abandoned dog. Matty felt an instant connection to this small, frightened creature. After coaxing him into their car, taking him to the vet and eventually being allowed to adopt him and bring him home, 'Cliff' and Matty become inseparable. Cliff has 'good days and bad days', and as the dog begins to heal, Matty realises that he needs help to heal too. He summons up all his courage to eventually tell his dad that he thinks he might be depressed, to which his dad replies 'You've no idea how brave you're being by telling me that.' This is one of my favourite moments of the book. Kate Foster writes with such clarity, compassion and understanding about Matty's struggles. There is a beautiful empathy and strength that shines through in this story, and the relief Matty feels after he finally tells his closest friends about his depression is palpable. As is the surprise when he discovers that someone else his own age, whom he would never have suspected, is suffering from severe anxiety. This is my other favourite moment in the book as it is Matty's realisation that he is not alone. 
Animals, especially dogs (sorry but I'm totally biased about this!) are the perfect listeners and companions for when we're not feeling great. They know when we need a snuggle and will goof around with us when we're happy.  They are like mirrors into our souls, emotional soothsayers, and seem to have an innate understanding of exactly what we need at any given time. Cliff was Matty's ideal companion. 
Kate's own experience with depression has no doubt given her an invaluable, first hand insight into this illness. Her writing is filled with emotion, and the story is meaningful and transparent without being patronising or reductive. This is an important, must have, highly recommended novel for upper primary and middle school.

Matty is not alone as a young man suffering with depression as, according to the Beyond Blue organisation, one in seven young men aged between 16 and 24 experience depression or anxiety each year. If you are suffering from mental health issues you can contact Headspace, Kids Helpine or Reachout. 

Themes for teaching could include mental health, depression, anxiety, friendship, courage, self awareness, dogs, pets as therapy, families and father-son relationships. 

Find out more about Kate Foster.

Release date May 4, 2022. Published by Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781760654719 (PB)
Highly recommended for ages 9 +

​

0 Comments

    Archives

    December 2024
    October 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020

    Categories

    All
    17th Century Japan
    Abhorsen
    Acceptance
    Activism
    Adventure
    Alexis Deacon
    Aliens
    Amie Kaufmann
    Amy Calautti
    Animals
    Animal Stories
    Animal Trafficking
    Anna Pignataro
    Anthologies
    Anxiety
    Apocalypse
    Arielle Li
    Art
    Aurora Cycle
    Australia
    Australian
    Australian Animals
    Australian Author
    Australian Authors
    Australian Birds
    Australian Flora
    Australian Illustrator
    Australian Illustrators
    Author/Illustrators
    Autism
    Babies
    Babushkas
    Battles
    Beachlife
    Bears
    Beliefs
    Belonging
    Bicycles
    Biographies
    Biographies About Women
    Birds
    Black And White
    Board Book
    Board Games
    Boats
    Bob Graham
    Book Characters
    Book Review
    Books
    Books On Tour
    Boys
    Bradley Christmas
    Bravery
    Bronwyn Bancroft
    Brothers And Sisters
    Bullying
    Bushfires
    Bush Turkey
    BuzzWordsZine
    Canals
    Cartoons
    Castles
    Cat Kid Comic Club
    Cats
    Celebrations
    Change
    Chapter Books
    Cheese
    Children
    Chimera
    Chris McKimmie
    Christmas
    Cities
    Climate Change
    Cockroaches
    Coding
    Collaboration
    Collection
    Colours
    Comics
    Coming Of Age
    Communities
    Community
    Community Gardens
    Compassion
    Composing
    Computers
    Connections
    Conservation
    Coronavirus
    Counting
    Courage
    Creativity
    Crime Fighters
    Crocodiles
    Cultural Understanding
    Culture
    Dance
    Daughters
    Dav Pilkey
    Death
    Deb Abela
    Depression
    Determination
    Dinnertime
    Dinosaurs
    Disab
    Disabilities
    Disability
    Diversity
    Dogs
    Doomsday
    Doors
    Douglas Holgate
    Dragons
    Drawing
    Dreams
    Dystopian
    Early Australian History
    Early Readers
    Earth
    Edo Era
    Einstein
    Elves
    Emotions
    Empathy
    Environment
    Environmental Protection
    Evil
    Extinct Animals
    Fairy Tales
    Famiies
    Families
    Family
    Family Problems
    Famine
    Famous Australians
    Famous Australian Women
    Fantasy
    Father Daughter Relationship
    Fathers
    Father Son Relationships
    Feathers
    Feelings
    Fiction
    FIFA World Cup
    Film Making
    Fish
    Five Mile Press
    Flying
    Food
    Ford Street Publishing
    Forest Bathing
    Forests
    Forgiveness
    Frances Mackay
    Freya Blacwood
    Friends
    Friendship
    Friendships
    Frogs
    Gangs
    Gardening
    Garth Nix
    Ghosts
    Giants
    Girls
    Glenda Millard
    Glint Of Gold
    Global Communities
    Goats
    Graeme Base
    Granddaughters
    Grandfathers
    Grandmothers
    Graphic Novels
    Gratitude
    Greed
    Grief
    Growing Up
    Haiku
    Hats
    Healthy Eating
    Hippopotamuses
    Holiday
    Holodomor
    Hope
    Horses
    Human Kind
    Humour
    Ibis
    Identity
    Illness
    Imagination
    Immigrant Stories
    Indian Stories
    Indigenous Culture
    Indigenous Stories
    Inidgenous Stories
    Intergenerational Stories
    Introverts
    Inventions
    Inventiveness
    Italy
    Jaclyln Moriarty
    Jacqueline Harvey
    James Foley
    Japan
    Jay Kristoff
    Jigsaws
    Jonathan Bentley
    Journeys
    Just Write For Kids
    Kate And Jol Temple
    Kate Foster
    Kaylani Juanita
    Kelly Jarris
    Kim Siew
    Kindergarten
    Kindness
    King Arthur
    Kingdoms And Empires
    Kings
    Kleptomania
    Koalas
    Ky Garvey
    Kyla May
    Letter Writing
    LGBTQI
    Libby Hathorn
    Librarians
    Libraries
    Little Pink Dog Books
    Loneliness
    Loss
    Love
    Luca French
    Mac Barnett
    Machines
    Magic
    Magicians
    Making
    Marc McBride
    Marg Gibbs
    Maria Speyer
    Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
    Matt Ottley
    Medical Ethics
    Megan Wagner Lloyd
    Meg McKinlay
    Memories
    Memory Loss
    Mental Health
    Michelle Mee Nutter
    Middle Grade
    Millinery
    Mindfullness
    Mitchell Toy
    Mole Rats
    Moles
    Money
    Monkey
    Monsters
    Morning Routines
    Mother Daughter Relationships
    Mothers
    Mountains
    Moving
    Multiculturalism
    Music
    Musical Composition
    Musical Instruments
    Muslim Stories
    Mythical Creatures
    Mythology
    Nature
    Necromancy
    Neighbourhoods
    Neurodiversity
    Neurological Disorders
    New Authors
    New York City
    Noongar Language
    Noses
    Ocean
    Oral Storytelling
    Outdoor Activities
    Pandemic
    Patrick Guest
    Penny Macoun
    Pens
    Perseverance
    Persistence
    Perspective
    Peter Carnavas
    Pets
    Pets As Therapy
    Phil Lesnie
    Photographs
    Photography
    Picture Books
    Pirates
    Pizza
    Plants
    Poachers
    Podcasts
    Poems
    Poetry
    Poetry For Children
    Polar Bears
    Postal Services
    Postman
    Poverty
    Preschoolers
    Princesses
    Prisons
    Problem Solving
    Puzzles
    Queens
    Quests
    Rabbits
    Rachel Hennessy
    Recycling
    Refugees
    Reindeer
    Relationships
    Relatives
    Rememberance
    Remote Communities
    Remy Lai
    Reporting
    Resilience
    Reslience
    Resourcefulness
    Responsibility
    Rhyming Stories
    Risk Taking
    Robert Vescio
    Robots
    Roller Skates
    Roller Skating
    Ronojoy Ghosh
    Rural Communities
    Russia
    Sabrena Khadija
    Sadami Konchi
    Samantha Turnbull
    Sarah Dabro
    School
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Scotland
    Sea
    Seals
    Seasons
    Secret Agents
    Self Awareness
    Self-Awareness
    Self Publish
    Senses
    Separation
    Series
    Shapes
    Sharon Giltrow
    Shawn Harris
    Siblings
    Sisters
    Skeletons
    Sketching
    Sloths
    Small Towns
    Soccer
    Socceroos
    Social Emotional Learning
    Social Media
    Sofie Laguna
    Sound
    Space
    Spells
    Spies
    Stamps
    Storms
    Storyboarding
    Storytelling
    Stylized Art
    Summer
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surprise
    Survival
    Swans
    Tasmania
    Team Sports
    Technology
    Thankful
    The Last Kids On Earth Series
    The Moon
    The Old Kingdom
    Thylacines
    Time Travel
    Tina Wilson
    Togetherness
    Tolerance
    Tom Percival
    Torches
    Toys
    Traditions
    Trains
    Travel
    Trees
    Trilogy
    Trust
    Tween Readers
    Twins
    Ukraine
    Understanding
    Universe
    Vacations
    Valerie Bolling
    Vampires
    Vegetables
    Venice
    Villains
    Villians
    Walker Books
    Warriors
    Waste
    Weather
    Weddings
    Wellbeing
    Western Australia
    Wilderness
    Wildlife Rescue
    Windows
    Witches
    Wizards
    Women
    Women In Comedy
    Women In Politics
    Women In Sport
    Women In Television
    Women Writers
    Worries
    Writing
    Xander And The Pen
    Young Adult
    Younger Readers
    Zana Fraillon
    Zombies

    RSS Feed

The Book Tree. © Kerry Gittins 2024. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
    • About and Contact
  • Poetry
  • Book Reviews
  • With This Book We Can Podcast