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Down Under Calling: Grandma Rose Spins a Web
When a reluctant grandson in Oregon is pressured into writing to his grandma in Australia, wonderful things happen. Both have a need for love and reassurance. Back and forth the letters go, as they both deal with the problems in their daily lives. Josh shares his frustration at his dad being downsized and losing their lovely home. Grandma Rose tells of growing up Down Under, and family tales that astonish her grandson and his friend Kelly. Together they shrink the Pacific Ocean into a puddle they can easily ford.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2013
4 people want to read
About the author
Margot E. Finke
11 books45 followersMargot Finke is an Aussie transplant who writes mid-grade adventure fiction and rhyming picture books. For many years she has lived happily in Oregon. Gardening, travel, and reading fill in the cracks between writing. Her husband is very supportive, and their three children are now grown and doing very well. Seven wonderful grandchildren round out her life.
Margot has 12 published books, with several more due for publication later this year. She didn't begin serious writing until the day their youngest left for college. This late start drives her writing, and pushes her to work at it every day.
Margot said, "I really envy those who began young, and managed to slip into writing mode between kid fights, diaper changes, household disasters, and outside jobs. You are my heroes!"
Margot has 12 published books, with several more due for publication later this year. She didn't begin serious writing until the day their youngest left for college. This late start drives her writing, and pushes her to work at it every day.
Margot said, "I really envy those who began young, and managed to slip into writing mode between kid fights, diaper changes, household disasters, and outside jobs. You are my heroes!"
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 17, 2014
Review for Down Under Calling by Margot Finke
In this other great middle grade wonder, Down Under won my heart when Grandma Rose began a stories series starting with how chickens became food. In the true to life story the chicks had stopped laying and were butchered with an axe and dipped in boiling water to make the feathers come off easier. I know this method because it is a story from own past life when we were raising our sons and chickens at the same time.
Margot Fink tells these tales with a lot of imagination and zest. Using words like chuckle when she’s talking about chickens make me think of cluck.
Her book is divided into chapters with the main characters represented by a different chapter. Grandma Rose is one and her grandson Andy is another while within the chapters are their letters to each other. Grandma’s chapters are full of her life in real time Australia while she writes her letters with her childhood stories to Andy. ‘””
This book had me glued to my seat. I loved reading about both their lives. Andy’s Dad had been recently down sized and he was adjusting to life in a small apartment and no more money for music or video games when he makes friends with a neighbor girl. The book covers issues of downsizing, divorce and greater themes of togetherness, family and love.
As a benefit while reading, I was treated to information about Joeys, Frill neck lizards and other interesting tid bits of Australian life or the down under.
I found I had a lot in common with Grandma and have a feeling this was autobiographical for the author.
I highly recommend this to any middle grader and also to the boomer generation who might be longing to hear how life was for their parents on the farm.
In this other great middle grade wonder, Down Under won my heart when Grandma Rose began a stories series starting with how chickens became food. In the true to life story the chicks had stopped laying and were butchered with an axe and dipped in boiling water to make the feathers come off easier. I know this method because it is a story from own past life when we were raising our sons and chickens at the same time.
Margot Fink tells these tales with a lot of imagination and zest. Using words like chuckle when she’s talking about chickens make me think of cluck.
Her book is divided into chapters with the main characters represented by a different chapter. Grandma Rose is one and her grandson Andy is another while within the chapters are their letters to each other. Grandma’s chapters are full of her life in real time Australia while she writes her letters with her childhood stories to Andy. ‘””
This book had me glued to my seat. I loved reading about both their lives. Andy’s Dad had been recently down sized and he was adjusting to life in a small apartment and no more money for music or video games when he makes friends with a neighbor girl. The book covers issues of downsizing, divorce and greater themes of togetherness, family and love.
As a benefit while reading, I was treated to information about Joeys, Frill neck lizards and other interesting tid bits of Australian life or the down under.
I found I had a lot in common with Grandma and have a feeling this was autobiographical for the author.
I highly recommend this to any middle grader and also to the boomer generation who might be longing to hear how life was for their parents on the farm.
July 27, 2016
Looking for a mid-grade novel for a ‘tween-age boy who’s interested in all things Aussie? Here’s the perfect book for you, Down Under Calling, by Margot Finke. Ms Finke is a transplanted Aussie with memories and stories to share about wild and wonderful Australia. I highly recommend this book to boys and girls who want to learn more about Australia, its animals, weather, birds, etc. Parents and grandparents will enjoy Andy’s growing relationship with Grandma Rose.
In Down Under Calling, Andy’s mother wants him to do something productive over summer – not sit around playing video games. She suggests he write letters to his Grandma Rose in Australia. We applaud Mom pushing Andy knowing that he and his grandmother will get to know each other better through this correspondence. We’ll all learn more about Australia through Grandma Rose’s sharing her memories with us about growing up ‘down under.’
Andy, being a video game player, is not inclined to write letters – how “bo-o-o-ring,” he thinks, as he reluctantly complies with Mom’s urging. But once he receives Grandma Rose’s first letter, he changes his mind. Grandma Rose has a lot of interesting critter visitors to her garden, which backs to the Queensland Bush, plus entertaining personal stories from her girlhood. Andy is hooked and his friend, a girl named Kelly, is drawn in, too. The summer passes pleasurably on both continents as they eagerly await the next snail mail installment. Andy and Kelly’s friendship also grows through sharing their personal stories.
Letter exchanges make for wonderful stories. We get to experience life in two worlds. In this case we also get Grandma Rose’s remembrances of her life as a girl in Australia in the early 1940’s, contrasted with her life today. Andy’s perspective broadens and his understanding of his own life’s problems also deepens. He develops a warm relationship with Grandma Rose and gains a close friend in Kelly. They learn more about the creatures in Australia through Andy and Kelly’s ‘Google’ searches. Andy and Kelly find more to interest them outside in bike riding and bird watching.
If you’ve ever carried on a correspondence over a period of time you find out a lot about the other person as you share information – and you learn more about yourself as well. Andy learns his parents are having the same problems he’s had since his father was downsized, which changed their living situation. The whole family has had to adjust to their altered financial reality. In this day and age sacrifices seem harder to make when we see others are much better off. This story shows how families can stick together in hard times and that expensive, ‘store bought’ fun isn’t a true necessity. It’s our relationships that really matter.
In Down Under Calling, Andy’s mother wants him to do something productive over summer – not sit around playing video games. She suggests he write letters to his Grandma Rose in Australia. We applaud Mom pushing Andy knowing that he and his grandmother will get to know each other better through this correspondence. We’ll all learn more about Australia through Grandma Rose’s sharing her memories with us about growing up ‘down under.’
Andy, being a video game player, is not inclined to write letters – how “bo-o-o-ring,” he thinks, as he reluctantly complies with Mom’s urging. But once he receives Grandma Rose’s first letter, he changes his mind. Grandma Rose has a lot of interesting critter visitors to her garden, which backs to the Queensland Bush, plus entertaining personal stories from her girlhood. Andy is hooked and his friend, a girl named Kelly, is drawn in, too. The summer passes pleasurably on both continents as they eagerly await the next snail mail installment. Andy and Kelly’s friendship also grows through sharing their personal stories.
Letter exchanges make for wonderful stories. We get to experience life in two worlds. In this case we also get Grandma Rose’s remembrances of her life as a girl in Australia in the early 1940’s, contrasted with her life today. Andy’s perspective broadens and his understanding of his own life’s problems also deepens. He develops a warm relationship with Grandma Rose and gains a close friend in Kelly. They learn more about the creatures in Australia through Andy and Kelly’s ‘Google’ searches. Andy and Kelly find more to interest them outside in bike riding and bird watching.
If you’ve ever carried on a correspondence over a period of time you find out a lot about the other person as you share information – and you learn more about yourself as well. Andy learns his parents are having the same problems he’s had since his father was downsized, which changed their living situation. The whole family has had to adjust to their altered financial reality. In this day and age sacrifices seem harder to make when we see others are much better off. This story shows how families can stick together in hard times and that expensive, ‘store bought’ fun isn’t a true necessity. It’s our relationships that really matter.
February 9, 2014
The Aussie from Down Under, Margot Finke, has done it again! Down Under Calls is a beautifully crafted story of bridging the generation gap and ocean separation through good old-fashioned letter writing and sharing stories of one’s youth.
At the request of his mother, Andy Frazer is reluctant in having to write a letter to his Australian Grandma Rose. It was bad enough his family was forced to move from their spacious home to a cramped apartment. Something about downsizing at his father’s job led to this. Along with not being allowed to purchase any more video games he now had to write a letter to some old lady he doesn’t even remember. What could he possibly write about?
What starts out as a burden quickly turns into a true labor of love. The letter writing becomes a glorious distraction that serves as the propeller of an exploding imagination and curiosity. What Andy learns along the way is invaluable. Journey along with Andy, Grandma Rose, and Andy’s closest friend Kelly as their lives become intertwined despite the separation of an ocean.
The humorous letter exchanges will have the reader turning the pages as quick as lightening. Author, Margot Finke includes a glossary of Australian words for easy reference. Visit Finke at www.margotfinke.com to learn about her ever-evolving writing career. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time visiting, for Margot’s expertise and humor spill from the pages.
At the request of his mother, Andy Frazer is reluctant in having to write a letter to his Australian Grandma Rose. It was bad enough his family was forced to move from their spacious home to a cramped apartment. Something about downsizing at his father’s job led to this. Along with not being allowed to purchase any more video games he now had to write a letter to some old lady he doesn’t even remember. What could he possibly write about?
What starts out as a burden quickly turns into a true labor of love. The letter writing becomes a glorious distraction that serves as the propeller of an exploding imagination and curiosity. What Andy learns along the way is invaluable. Journey along with Andy, Grandma Rose, and Andy’s closest friend Kelly as their lives become intertwined despite the separation of an ocean.
The humorous letter exchanges will have the reader turning the pages as quick as lightening. Author, Margot Finke includes a glossary of Australian words for easy reference. Visit Finke at www.margotfinke.com to learn about her ever-evolving writing career. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time visiting, for Margot’s expertise and humor spill from the pages.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews