Graffiti moon

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - 2010

Honour Award of The Children's Book Council of Australia, YA 2011

Blurb ....
Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist.
Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose.
Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn't the best way to show it. Jazz and Leo are slowly encircling each other.
An intense and exhilarating 24 hours in the lives of four teenagers on the verge: of adulthood, of HSC, of finding out just who they are, and who they want to be.

For me this story took a bit to warm up, however, once it did it was on a roll. It's aimed at 17 to 18 year olds by the use of its contemporary language and subject matter with the ups and downs of relationships. I really liked this story.

Cath Crowley takes you on a journey looking through the eyes of it two main characters, Lucy and Ed. So each chapter is seen through Lucy's eye's then the next through Ed's. The story begins on the last day of Year 12 and the events that unfold throughout the night and finishes the next morning. Basically, Lucy wants to meet the elusive Shadow, a graffiti artist whose work really speaks to Lucy, and spends her night trying to find him. Ed however, is doing his best making sure she doesn't. I'm not going to spoil the story and tell you what happens, you will just have to read it to find out!!

Visit Cath's site: http://cathcrowley.com.au/

Six impossible things

Six impossible things by Fiona Wood. - Pan McMillan 2010
Shortlisted for The Children's Book Council of Australia, YA 2011.

Blurb ....
Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

We meet Dan, the main character in this story, when his life has just been turned upside down and inside out. Dan and his mother have just moved to an old dusty house, they have no money, he has to start at a new school, his mother is in the process of a breakdown, his father has just announced that he is gay and to top it all off, he is madly in love with the girl next door.
Although there is so much going on in the story line, it is written in a gentle yet honest way. Your heart will break for Dan, you will sympathise with Dan and you will cheer for Dan. I loved this book and I look forward to seeing if it wins this year's CBCA highest award.

Visit Fiona's webpage: http://fionawood.com/