It’s school holidays and Oli wishes he could just stay home doing boring old familiar things, or go on a holiday with his family like some of the other kids in his class.
Instead, he has to go to Heroes Club to learn how to read emotions and express himself appropriately and all the stuff that he finds really, really hard and confronting to do.
To cap it
off, his sister is going to drama club and she won’t be around for him. This
makes life hard for Oli because he’s used to her standing up for him, and speaking
when he cannot – which is quite a lot.
On their way to the first session of Heroes Club, there’s a major disruption to the traffic just outside the building they will meet in, and it’s being caused by a small stray dog on the road. Oli looks into the dog’s eyes before it runs away, and feels a strong connection.
From here,
Oli and his newfound friends form an unlikely alliance and as well as learning
all sorts of things about himself and others, Oli finds that he is indeed an
unlikely hero when it comes to caring about dogs in soon-to-be-demolished
buildings!
Together,
the children of the Heroes Club hatch a plan to rescue this dog that the adults
don’t seem to care about, and even though he’s never lied to his mother before,
Oli knows that this situation is something bigger than him, and one that he
simply has to take action upon.
Author Kate
Foster has done a truly wonderful job in presenting both the inner and outer
monologues of Oli, and of representing the differences and sameness of all the
other children in Heroes Club, too.
A story
told with precision and detail - with a slug of mystery and a good dose of
humour to boot - this novel will appeal to all middle grade readers. With a
clear and authentic voice guiding us through the actions of the narrative, this
book will bring extra clarity and understanding to those kids who are in any
way wondering about what it’s like to live with autism.
A valuable
classroom addition.
Highly recommended.
Title: The Unlikely Heroes Club
Author: Kate Foster
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $16.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760655969
For ages: 8 +
Type: Middle Grade Fiction
