August & Jones

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS 2023

Meet Jones and August: Jones's family have had to sell their farm and relocate to Sydney because of the drought, while August's quirky personality means he feels isolated both at school and at home. August is chosen to show Jones around on her first day at Oakwood Primary and the two quickly become firm friends, bonding over their love of nature and running. Not long into the term, Jones experiences blurred vision and headaches, arousing fears that the cancer that took her left eye as an infant has returned. Meanwhile, August's athletic older brother is a lot to live up to, especially when August would rather be listening to pop music and knitting with his sister-to the embarrassment of his football-mad father. Getting through the rest of the year will require a lot of trust and strength from these young characters. Pip Harry's first middle-grade novel, The Little Wave, won awards from the CBCA and Speech Pathology Australia. Inspired by the friendship between two children in Victoria, Harry returns with this big-hearted story about friendship and resilience. August and Jones face many challenges in this novel-illness, family separation, bullying-but together, they support each other and achieve great things. Harry alternates between their perspectives, and her genuine affection and care for each character is incredibly moving, especially combined with a simple writing style. Anyone 10 and up who enjoyed Wonder or Sick Bay will fall in love with August & Jones. Annie Waters sells books, writes about books and podcasts about books. She speaks to Pip Harry about August & Jones here.

Pip Harry is an Australian author, copywriter and journalist. Her young adult novels include I'll Tell You Mine, Head of the River and Because of You. Her middle grade novel The Little Wave won the 2020 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. Pip's second middle grade novel, Are You There, Buddha?, was a 2022 Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book and was shortlisted for the 2022 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature. Pip's next middle grade novel, August & Jones, was published by Hachette in 2022 and was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 2023 and the 2024 YABBA Awards, and won the CBCA Shadow Judging Book of the Year for Younger Readers. Her first picture book, Over or Under? is inspired by a lifetime of ocean swimming and occasionally getting dumped by big waves. See also:

From the CBCA Award-winning author of The Little Wave comes the story of two extraordinary kids who discover the life-changing power of friendship and teamwork. Eleven-year-old Jones Kirby has just moved to Sydney from her farm in country New South Wales. She's missing her alpacas and wide-open paddocks and can't get used to her family's tiny city apartment. She's also worried that her vision is blurry - she lost her eye to cancer as a toddler. Could it be another tumour?Enrolling at her new school, Jones meets shy, awkward August Genting . He loves fun facts, the library and knitting as much as Jones loves rock climbing and being outdoors. Who would have thought they'd become fast friends?At home, August's parents are fighting. And for Jones, the news from the doctor is not good. To cheer themselves up, the pair hatch a brilliant plan: the August and Jones Must-See Bucket List . Together, this brave duo will set out to meet a rare monkey, run across the Harbour Bridge and even climb Australia's highest mountain. After all, with your best friend beside you, anything is possible! 'A delightfully Australian book and a sensitive picture of what family and friendship means ... Highly recommended' ReadPlus 'I wish I was reading it for the first time again - that is how much I loved it ... Pip Harry balances the reality of illness and the joys and travails of being a child with a deft hand. She never overplays the emotional drama of illness and family rifts, but offsets them with the power of friendship, love and strength of character. Harry really portrays the vicissitudes of life with big-hearted sensitivity' Readings 'August & Jones is a big-hearted story for middle readers from an award-winning author, about how friendship can lend us courage to defy adversity' Sydney Morning Herald Praise for Pip Harry: 'Fresh, authentic, poignant, light and dark by turns - I wish I'd read this when I was growing up.' JANE GODWIN 'Pip Harry's words are imbued with hope and the message that falling down doesn't mean you never get back up.' Children's Books Daily 'Pip Harry is a masterful storyteller ... funny and relatable.' Readings 'Fresh, funny and very contemporary ... reminds us that we all have the chance to change the course of our life and make a difference in the world.' Better Reading

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