My Brother Ben
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley March 4, 2022
Author Peter Carnavas
Distributor: UQP
ISBN: 9780702263330
Publisher: University of Queensland Press (UQP)
Release Date: September 2021
Website: https://www.uqp.com.au
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Beautifully written My Brother Ben from award winning Peter Carnavas is a wonderful, heart-warming story about brotherly love, birds and growing up which is an absolute delight to read from beginning to end.
Bens brother, Luke, is mad about birds. He can name all the birds in the neighbourhood just by listening to their signature call sign. Finding a dead magpie by the side of the road almost gets him hit by a passing car. Ben comes to his recue, and after the shock wears off, they take the bird home on the basis that it may not be dead at all, which as it turns out, it is not. Maggie then become a well-loved family member.
Set in the semi-rural area of Deagon, Brisbane, Cabbage Tree Creek to be exact, the two boys lead an idyllic life over the summer holidays, ranging far and wide along the creek. Ben’s overwhelming desire is to own his own boat so they can float down the creek to the Pocket and fish. Luke’s is to be forever with birds.
As the story evolves the many conflicts of growing up come into play, with Ben going to high school, another person coming into the neighbourhood, a girl at that, who Ben is friendly with, conflict with his father over his leaving, and his absolute love and passion with birds, becoming the thread that carries the life lessons. To add to the confusing mess, Luke’s beloved Maggie has gone, has not been seen around for weeks and weeks. Luke just hopes she is alright.
The boys get a chance to try and win a canoe with all the required accessories, in a local competition and set out to see if they can grab this once in a lifetime opportunity. It seems they are up against some serious competition within Bens’ high school friends, but he is convinced that they will win!
In the attempt to win the prize, brotherly love gets pushed to the very limit, Ben almost drowns when he decides to see if an old wooden boat will still float and the mysterious bird call, heard time and time again by Luke, is finally discovered.
Funny, witty, and very, very wise My Brother Ben is the prefect read for any pre-teen struggling to work ‘it’ out as they grow up.