Don't Pat the Wombat!

by Elizabeth Honey

The warts-and-all story of a Grade 6 school camp (including the funny, rude and naughty bits), featuring a loner called Jonah and an explosive teacher called The Bomb.

Genres: Childrens, Australia, Juvenile, Humor, Fiction, Middle Grade

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Elizabeth Honey was a weedy child who always seemed to have a sore throat, so her parents didn't send her to school until she was nearly seven. The Honeys lived on a farm in the bush near Wonthaggi, Victoria. There were four kids and Elizabeth was number three. With her younger sister Mary, Elizabeth puzzled over jigsaws, played with the dogs, climbed trees and one way or another did a lot of pretending, on horses or tractors, in dress-ups or with glove puppets, round old trucks, cubbies, dams and hay sheds.
Following Swinburne art school, adventures overseas and a variety of jobs Elizabeth became an illustrator, then also a writer, for children. Her first book, 'Princess Beatrice and the Rotten Robber' was published in 1988.

She lives in Richmond, Melbourne in a house of books: picture books, poetry, art (Matisse particularly) zines and strange books. Fortunately, her retired graphic designer husband is also a bibliophile. They have two grown-up children and a granddaughter in Amsterdam. All her life Elizabeth has zoomed around on her bike - not a lycra rider, just a charging-round-the-place rider - and that vibrant bike city in the Netherlands has become an inspiration. She's also passionate about streets for people not cars, public parkland and place-making, and an abiding passion is habitat for wildlife, for the survival of our unique Australian animals.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a strong memory of sitting on the carpet listening to Mr. Merritt, my year 6 teacher, read this out loud to the class, doing the voices extremely well and laughing along with the rest of us (and at the more adult specif bits, which reading now, are very well done- the Cellulites lol). I was sniggering as a kid, and when I borrowed it from the school library my brother and I both read it guffawing, and to this day (nearing twenty years later!) we still bring up bits- 'the bees gum by the knotted hum', the term 'duffer', when one of us is freezing and the other will say 'light a fire to get warm'. I love this book and it has been a delight to find a copy and re-read it as an adult. Elizabeth Honey is spot on with the Australian, primary school vernacular, she nails her demographic. It's funny and genuinely heart-warming. Parts of it reminded me of Danny Champion of the World, Jonah is a cracker of a character and reading this now, I would love to know what lives those boys lead now. Recommend this book.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book.
It's way below my reading level now, but I still read it sometimes.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The coconuts are friends. Womz, Nicko, Mitch, Azza and Mark Rider are best friends. They do everything together and it’s school camp time. Jonah, a shy new kid from the bush, tags along with the Coconuts. They’re not sure why he doesn’t talk much. Whatever Jonah does he’s in trouble from one teacher, The Bomb.
The best teachers and nice parents are going to camp and that means leaving Mr Cromwell, The Bomb at school. Another great thing about camp.
Camp is great. Jonah is wild fun. There’s torches, lollies, great food and wombats and then there’s an accident a teacher has to leave, and The Bomb is the substitute teacher.
The Coconuts set out to keep distance between The Bomb and Jonah, but Jonah finds himself in a kayak with The Bomb heading for wild water. What happens? Why does Jonah stops talking? What secrets does he hold?
A fun read.
Recommended for MG 10+
The Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this cos there's an excerpt from it in Stories for 8-year-olds and I'd always wanted to know what happened!

It's kinda perfectly written for intermediate aged kids. Just the right amount of cynicism.

Minor criticism, there were a few unfinished storylines but apart from that it was great.

[Livvy ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was really funny when i read it in year 6 :)

[Hudson Zerger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t pat the wombat is an amazing adventure story by Elizabeth Honey. I loved the need to see what was going to happen in the next chapter. I feel like this book is made more for younger students, but older students could enjoy it too. I gave it a 4 star because it has a good story, but could use some more action. I feel like the author explained the adventures very well, but could use a bit more detail about the situation they are in.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really funny, more for kids under 12! heart-warming as well as outspoken!

[Rikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book when I was young. Recommended for young readers.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Australia--may prove challenging for children not versed in Australian geography, slang, or wildlife.

[Sofia T · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was excellent. I loved it!

[Samira · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had great potential but it was super slow and left so many things undone.

[Olivia Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful children's book full of simple adventure!

[Saartje de Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huilen

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic and Bittersweet

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 January 2001 DON'T PAT THE WOMBAT by Elizabeth Honey, Knopf, June 2000

Last week we traveled to Yosemite for a few days. The kids wanted to play in thesnow, so each day we'd travel by shuttle bus up to Badger Pass. During the 40 minute rides up and down the mountain I read aloud this absolutely wonderful book, previously published in Australia where it won several awards. It will be released in paperback this summer.

DON'T PAT THE WOMBAT is the story of a boy named Jonah who moves from his family's failed farm out in the bush country into town. There, he joins up with the group of 6th grade boys including Mark, who is the book's narrator. They are a fun, easygoing bunch except for having to deal with an unpleasant, alcoholic teacher who they refer to as The Bomb. When the boys travel to camp for a week in a school sanctioned trip and a teacher suddenly gets sick, the stage is set for a climactic confrontation between the boys and The Bomb.

The book is a winner. Not only did my own kids demand that I read nonstop on those shuttle trips, but a pair of somebody else's kids would board the bus and ask me shyly whether I was going to read more of the book.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Luvlollies]

Hi Readers off the future,
At school we had this book in the book club,
we weren't allowed to take them home but I took mine home my mum found it and told my teacher now they don't have the book any more!
Bad mum!!!
L8TR READERS OFF THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andi mentioned Elizabeth Honey to me the other day when I was adding a bunch of childhood books to Goodreads, and I'd never heard of her... so she went and found this book in her room an lent it to me :D (And ended up re-reading it herself that night!) And I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Oh my gosh, it brought back SO many memories of grade five camp and it's seriously something that every Australian who EVER went on a school camp needs to read :D It's just an absolute gem, kind of in the same vein as Penny Pollard - real Aussie kids who aren't always that good but who are heaps of fun to read about. There's a bit of serious stuff too with a drunken bully of a teacher, but it's all just written so charmingly that you don't get bogged down by that. And it's all so REAL and made me so nostalgic. We went to this ranch in Daylesford in grade five and the experience was just so similar to the camp that the kids go on here :) Loved it, loved it, loved it!! Cheers Andi :D

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for its demographic, but loses a lot when read aloud. Best to be enjoyed as a solo pursuit

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why primary schoolers love this book. It feels so genuine - the characters, dialogue and details all ring true. The author obviously knows primary school and kids of this age very well! I had a twinge of doubt about the inclusion of some of the grosser songs and rhymes - the parents of the few kids who don't already know these would probably not approve - but, again, they ring true. I knew them when I was a kid, and I suppose most kids know them now. Anyway, the story was fun, interesting, suspenseful and very amusing. I bought this for my daughter and read it first to check it was okay. I think, with parental guidance (i.e. leaving the door open for discussions about content), she will find it a fun read. Recommended with that one reservation.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

My year 6 students adored this book and it is easy to understand why. The characters feel genuine, the storyline is laugh-out-loud funny and there are more than a few "naughty" moments to engage the reluctant readers. As a teacher, I suggest you do a little reading ahead as there are some inappropriate moments, especially when reading aloud.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was quite interesting, especially the part where they're singing on the way to camp.I read this book a long time ago, so I can't really tell any of you readers that much about the book.

[Gen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used to love this book as a kid. It's about a grade 5 boy and his mates on their school camp. The combination of the words, cartoons, and photos make this a rather funny little book. Would recommend for maybe 9-12 year olds.

[Olivia!!!!!!!## curly wurly]

this is a really good book elizabeth honey is awsome i have met her once

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book - I read it in Grade 5 it was AWSOME!!! ---... There's a bear in there... on an electric chair ect. ...--- such a funny and great book

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't pat the wombat! by Elizabeth Honey (1996)

[******☠Ŗąνĕŋ☠****** · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. Reading it to my younger sibling sister :)

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the funniest book i've ever read!!!!!!!

[Evelyn Evertsen-Romp · Rating 3 out of 5]

very nice!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting camp story in the bush down under.