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Plenty
A place to call home.
Maddy Frank has always lived in Jermyn Street. Always. But now her mum and dad are making her move from the city, far away to some place called Plenty. How will Maddy survive without everything and everyone she knows? Nobody understands. But what about her mysterious new classmate, Grace Wek, who was born in a refugee camp? Could Grace actually understand how Maddy feels?
Maddy Frank has always lived in Jermyn Street. Always. But now her mum and dad are making her move from the city, far away to some place called Plenty. How will Maddy survive without everything and everyone she knows? Nobody understands. But what about her mysterious new classmate, Grace Wek, who was born in a refugee camp? Could Grace actually understand how Maddy feels?
- GenresChildrens
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
26 people want to read
About the author
Ananda Braxton-Smith
9 books27 followersAnanda Braxton-Smith is a journalist and children’s writer who is passionate about communicating history to young people in new and innovative ways.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 3, 2024
This had a good start and the idea had plenty of promise. Maddy is told by her parents that they're leaving Fitzroy in Melbourne for the countryside. Somewhere called Plenty. Then they'll have lots of trees and they can live near her grandma, who is also called Madeleine.
Maddy isn't happy with the move. She's always lived in Jermyn St. She likes Fitzroy.
But she doesn't get a stay. Then she meets a refugee in Plenty called Grace, and realises Grace has had it harder and has to relate. Maddy also is an expert in fairies that Grandma encourages ...
Oh, so many strands here and so many possibilities. It's a slim book so I wondered how it woudl go and the answer is ... pretty much nowhere.
Maddy's parents reminded me a bit of Leslie's parents in Bridge to Terabithia. She calls them by their first names. They do what they want, they move out to the countryside, they want this change. But unlike Leslie, Maddy doesn't go along with the adventure.
Did this story really tackle Maddy's homesickness issue - it was the issue it really focused on but I didn't feel satisfied with it. However it was the best portrayed issue.
I wasn't really satisfied with her relationship with Grace.
What happened to the mysterious past with Grandma, the fairies, some of the other things that popped up? They didn't lead to much. There were opportunities for more tension that didn't happen. I think this was a little slice of life story that was meant to show a small bit of real-life experience from a character that you don't get to know that well. It's nicely written but it didn't feel like a whole story. A glance at Maddy, maybe.
Maddy isn't happy with the move. She's always lived in Jermyn St. She likes Fitzroy.
But she doesn't get a stay. Then she meets a refugee in Plenty called Grace, and realises Grace has had it harder and has to relate. Maddy also is an expert in fairies that Grandma encourages ...
Oh, so many strands here and so many possibilities. It's a slim book so I wondered how it woudl go and the answer is ... pretty much nowhere.
Maddy's parents reminded me a bit of Leslie's parents in Bridge to Terabithia. She calls them by their first names. They do what they want, they move out to the countryside, they want this change. But unlike Leslie, Maddy doesn't go along with the adventure.
Did this story really tackle Maddy's homesickness issue - it was the issue it really focused on but I didn't feel satisfied with it. However it was the best portrayed issue.
I wasn't really satisfied with her relationship with Grace.
What happened to the mysterious past with Grandma, the fairies, some of the other things that popped up? They didn't lead to much. There were opportunities for more tension that didn't happen. I think this was a little slice of life story that was meant to show a small bit of real-life experience from a character that you don't get to know that well. It's nicely written but it didn't feel like a whole story. A glance at Maddy, maybe.
May 17, 2021
Couldn't even be bothered to finish it
September 28, 2014
Leaving Jermyn St in Fitzroy for life in the unknown Plenty, Maddy Frank mourns, often with great anger, the life she is leaving behind. She identifies do strongly with her street, her neighbours, her childhood friends even the tree in the park that she isn't sure that a life exists for her elsewhere. In Plenty she eventually find a new life with her grandmother and a new friend from school who teaches her that home lies within.
June 3, 2014
Such a brilliant book.
Maddy is a very angry little girl but when you're her age in the modern world, you can sort of understand her if you think like her.
Beautifully written junior fiction by the amazing Ananda Braxton-Smith.
For fans that have finished the Our Australian Girl series.
Maddy is a very angry little girl but when you're her age in the modern world, you can sort of understand her if you think like her.
Beautifully written junior fiction by the amazing Ananda Braxton-Smith.
For fans that have finished the Our Australian Girl series.
May 27, 2014
This is a beautiful read. Really looking at the theme of 'home'. I loved it.
September 23, 2014
Beautifully written book!
January 24, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. Beautifully written and easy to relate to the main character as she deals with the changes in her life. Yr 5 - Yr 8. PF.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews