Lowly’s Book Blog

This is the funniest book that I have read in a very long time! Kids are always asking me for a funny book, and this is it. Open any page between 1 – 150 and I defy you not to laugh right out loud within a page or two of reading!

There’s no easy way to put this, so I’ll just say it straight out. It’s time I faced up to the truth. I’m fourteen years old and I have Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome.
There is no cure. And so begins the story of Ishmael Leseur’s year 9 survival.

With a name like Ishmael Leseur, you just know that the narrator was bullied since forever. And he has learned to live with it and survive, not confortably, but survive. And then in year 9 a new student James Scobie is introduced to the class, and Ishmael is made his mentor. James is a very different young man, and Ishmael becomes his best friend.

As funny as this book is, there is a very warm, even emotional story hidden between the laughs. Through the year Ishmael learns a lot about life, priorities, and friendship. He comes through year 9 a much stronger person.

Every young adult will find something to enjoy in this book. I highly recommend it to everyone.

The Line Formation is a sports book, through and through. Young Rugby League talent Ozzie Eaton decides to spend a year overseas after year 12, but instead of backpacking through Europe like many young Australians, Ozzie decides to spend a few months as an exchange student in a Texas High School. In Texas football, American style, is a religion. When young Ozzie gets caught up in the team tryouts, and then selected, the trouble begins. To begin with, he starts using Rugby plays, followed by chatting up the quarterback’s girl. When he gets offered a football scholarship at an American university, he has to die!

I found the book interesting. I’m not a great sports fan, and there is enough explanation in the text to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of the games. But it is certainly not great literature. While surfing, I found a set of ‘teacher’s notes’ on the book. I really don’t think that it would stand up to much analysis and deconstruction. The symbolism is pretty superficial, and the characters are very two dimensional.

However, it is a good read for ages 12-16. And the sports fantatic boys might consider it, even if it is ‘thick’.