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It All Begins with Jelly Beans
Two girls form an unlikely friendship during their shared time in the school nurse’s office in this heartfelt middle grade novel for fans of Save Me a Seat and Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus.
Meg spends her days hoping no one thinks too hard about why she wears the same t-shirt and slippers to school every day. Luckily, the nurse’s office provides a welcome escape from classmates who don’t understand…and snacks when food runs out at home.
Riley knows fitting in at her new school would be a lot easier if her friends were more understanding of her type 1 diabetes. So she keeps her testing under wraps…and an emergency bag of jellybeans on hand.
When Meg and Riley end up together in the nurse’s office one day, both girls think they’ve worked each other out, but what if they’ve got it all wrong? On the brink of moving on to junior high, Riley and Meg must find the courage to discover who they really want to be. And maybe a bag of shared jellybeans will provide all the help they need.
Meg spends her days hoping no one thinks too hard about why she wears the same t-shirt and slippers to school every day. Luckily, the nurse’s office provides a welcome escape from classmates who don’t understand…and snacks when food runs out at home.
Riley knows fitting in at her new school would be a lot easier if her friends were more understanding of her type 1 diabetes. So she keeps her testing under wraps…and an emergency bag of jellybeans on hand.
When Meg and Riley end up together in the nurse’s office one day, both girls think they’ve worked each other out, but what if they’ve got it all wrong? On the brink of moving on to junior high, Riley and Meg must find the courage to discover who they really want to be. And maybe a bag of shared jellybeans will provide all the help they need.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2019
56 people are currently reading
1117 people want to read
About the author
Nova Weetman
27 books109 followersNova Weetman wrote short fiction and children’s television before publishing her first YA novel, The Haunting of Lily Frost, in 2014. She lives with her partner, a playwright, and their two children in Brunswick, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
April 22, 2022
What a surprising little treasure this was. I found it on one of my local council library websites and when I saw Nova Weetman is Australian and lives in Melbourne, I decided to give it a go cold turkey.
Dual narratives from Riley and Meg, year six students who meet in sick bay in a school probably located in Melbourne (Riley moved South from Sydney recently, so is a new student at the school, where Meg had been there since kindy). The book is about friendship, sickness (Riley has type 1 diabetes), families (Riley's mum is way overprotective and controlling, Meg's nearly non existant suffering severe depression after the death of Meg's father they year before) and fitting in.
One of the best books I've read about this age group (I also love Ashley Herring Blake) that highlights some of the prevelant issues. Having overseen an after school/vacation care program in my last job, I identified with what the girls experienced, as we had a severe anaphlactic boy who could not even sit near anyone else when food was present. Riley is different because of her diabetes as she is limited in what she can do and so many do not understand her situation and how she has to deal with it, often by not being able to participate and join in the fun fully.
Can't recommend this shortish novel enough, if you like these sort of books. A box of tissues nearby was necessary for me. 5+
ps I had to tick kindle when it was a library ebook as it came up as'It All Began with Jellybeans' on other additions, so look for this name as well.
'Only my mum can make sighing into a conversational skill. I know exactly what she's thinking. She pulls the chair out next to me and I groan.' Riley talking about her mum and their relationship.
Dual narratives from Riley and Meg, year six students who meet in sick bay in a school probably located in Melbourne (Riley moved South from Sydney recently, so is a new student at the school, where Meg had been there since kindy). The book is about friendship, sickness (Riley has type 1 diabetes), families (Riley's mum is way overprotective and controlling, Meg's nearly non existant suffering severe depression after the death of Meg's father they year before) and fitting in.
One of the best books I've read about this age group (I also love Ashley Herring Blake) that highlights some of the prevelant issues. Having overseen an after school/vacation care program in my last job, I identified with what the girls experienced, as we had a severe anaphlactic boy who could not even sit near anyone else when food was present. Riley is different because of her diabetes as she is limited in what she can do and so many do not understand her situation and how she has to deal with it, often by not being able to participate and join in the fun fully.
Can't recommend this shortish novel enough, if you like these sort of books. A box of tissues nearby was necessary for me. 5+
ps I had to tick kindle when it was a library ebook as it came up as'It All Began with Jellybeans' on other additions, so look for this name as well.
'Only my mum can make sighing into a conversational skill. I know exactly what she's thinking. She pulls the chair out next to me and I groan.' Riley talking about her mum and their relationship.
January 3, 2021
Since her father died suddenly 18 months ago, Meg Tower has been seeking refuge in her school's sick bay. With her mother missing in action, Meg is struggling to find food for her lunches and appropriate school clothes which has only given her bullies more ammunition. But when Riley Jackson, her bully's second-in-command and recent transfer student, starts making regular appearances in sick bay too, the two girls slowly strike up a friendship that might just make the last few months of primary school bearable.
I have a lot to say about this little novel. I enjoyed it while I was reading - I loved the characters and the Australian setting and I enjoyed reading about that scary transition from primary school to high school. I loved that this was a middle-grade novel tackling big topics like grieving one parent while the other struggles with mental illness and coping with a demanding disability like Type 1 Diabetes. But I really didn't like how Weetman handled those big topics.
Meg is clearly struggling with her situation throughout the novel and, regardless of what Weetman intended, Meg reads as mentally ill. She reads as depressed and anxious and why wouldn't she be? Her mother is barely functioning, she's being horrendously bullied at school, and she's facing the great unknown of starting high school with literally no emotional support.
So for Weetman to then turn around at the 90% mark and decide Meg was faking her panic attacks the entire time? Ableist. Unfair, lazy and ableist.
Until that point, this was a sensitive, beautiful story about a twelve-year-old girl struggling with anxiety and depression - things that affect lots of twelve-year-old girls - only for the author to rip that beautiful representation straight out of the reader's hands. It would've been so much stronger for Meg to actually be struggling with her mental health, and to seek healing alongside her mother. But instead, we have the kind of solution that, rather than uplifting mentally ill readers and encouraging them to seek help, perpetuates the harmful idea that the mentally ill are just faking it.
And then there's Riley. Riley has Type 1 Diabetes. According to the acknowledgements, the author did consult people who live with this disability in her writing of the novel but it's still glaringly obvious that this story about disability was written by an able-bodied author.
The majority of Riley's story revolves around her struggling to take control of caring for her diabetes on her own, in part because of her controlling mother and in part because of her wanting to fit in with her friends as seamlessly as possible. This was fine - it's something all disabled kids struggle with, it's something I struggled with - but the messages about acceptance that Weetman tried to shoehorn into Riley's story weren't disability-friendly at all.
Riley constantly says that her diabetes is only a small part of who she is but this doesn't come off as accepting or being comfortable with her disability. It comes off as trying to deny it, which only leads her to make dangerous choices that land her in hospital. Again, this is something lots of disabled kids struggle with, but there is not enough effort made to counter this harmful idea that rebelling by not taking care of yourself is "normal".
There's not enough pointing out the ableism Riley is encountering from her so-called friends or the fact that Riley's never been able to take charge of her own condition. Acceptance comes with access and Riley hasn't had any of that - she's barely getting dregs by the end of the novel because Weetman pays more attention to how it feels for Riley's mother to let go than to give Riley her autonomy.
But what bothered me most about Riley's story was Weetman's complete disregard for giving Riley any chance to engage with other kids who have diabetes. Riley talks about being sent on an outing with other diabetic kids and finding it so uncomfortable she's never tried it again. Her parents offer to send her to a diabetes camp halfway through the novel and she refuses that too. But Weetman never bothers to emphasise the fact that going on these activities would give Riley - and her controlling mother - the opportunity to connect with other people in her position.
I've been on those outings and those camps. And they can be awkward and uncomfortable depending on who else is there but when the stars align, they can be beautiful, uplifting experiences where you truly do not have to worry about being disabled. The greatest days of my childhood were the days I got to spend with other disabled kids without any ableism or access barriers in sight.
Disabled people need other disabled people. We need our community and this is something able-bodied people never seem to understand which is why it's so frustrating to see it disregarded in a children's book. Growing up with a disability is an endless struggle against ableism from family, friends, teachers, carers, strangers on the street. But connecting with other disabled kids through camps and activity programs are something that breaks up that tsunami of discrimination. It killed me to see Riley denying that opportunity and for Weetman to treat it like normal.
Because it's not normal for disabled people to be isolated from other people with their disability. It's not normal for preteens and teenagers to ignore their medical responsibilities to try to fit in with their friends. It's not normal for parents to control every aspect of their child's disability and refuse to teach them to care for it themselves. It's all ableism and it pains me to see all of this in a novel for kids who probably don't have access to the broader disability community to learn any different.
I was promised this was a story about friendship and self-acceptance but this is just another book by an able-bodied author who bothered to research a medical condition but not the disability community. If you want to write about us, learn what our lives are actually like because we are proud of our disabilities and that's what disabled kids need to see in the books written about them.
Warnings: Ableism, medically dangerous behaviour, bullying and mental health themes.
I have a lot to say about this little novel. I enjoyed it while I was reading - I loved the characters and the Australian setting and I enjoyed reading about that scary transition from primary school to high school. I loved that this was a middle-grade novel tackling big topics like grieving one parent while the other struggles with mental illness and coping with a demanding disability like Type 1 Diabetes. But I really didn't like how Weetman handled those big topics.
Meg is clearly struggling with her situation throughout the novel and, regardless of what Weetman intended, Meg reads as mentally ill. She reads as depressed and anxious and why wouldn't she be? Her mother is barely functioning, she's being horrendously bullied at school, and she's facing the great unknown of starting high school with literally no emotional support.
So for Weetman to then turn around at the 90% mark and decide Meg was faking her panic attacks the entire time? Ableist. Unfair, lazy and ableist.
Until that point, this was a sensitive, beautiful story about a twelve-year-old girl struggling with anxiety and depression - things that affect lots of twelve-year-old girls - only for the author to rip that beautiful representation straight out of the reader's hands. It would've been so much stronger for Meg to actually be struggling with her mental health, and to seek healing alongside her mother. But instead, we have the kind of solution that, rather than uplifting mentally ill readers and encouraging them to seek help, perpetuates the harmful idea that the mentally ill are just faking it.
And then there's Riley. Riley has Type 1 Diabetes. According to the acknowledgements, the author did consult people who live with this disability in her writing of the novel but it's still glaringly obvious that this story about disability was written by an able-bodied author.
The majority of Riley's story revolves around her struggling to take control of caring for her diabetes on her own, in part because of her controlling mother and in part because of her wanting to fit in with her friends as seamlessly as possible. This was fine - it's something all disabled kids struggle with, it's something I struggled with - but the messages about acceptance that Weetman tried to shoehorn into Riley's story weren't disability-friendly at all.
Riley constantly says that her diabetes is only a small part of who she is but this doesn't come off as accepting or being comfortable with her disability. It comes off as trying to deny it, which only leads her to make dangerous choices that land her in hospital. Again, this is something lots of disabled kids struggle with, but there is not enough effort made to counter this harmful idea that rebelling by not taking care of yourself is "normal".
There's not enough pointing out the ableism Riley is encountering from her so-called friends or the fact that Riley's never been able to take charge of her own condition. Acceptance comes with access and Riley hasn't had any of that - she's barely getting dregs by the end of the novel because Weetman pays more attention to how it feels for Riley's mother to let go than to give Riley her autonomy.
But what bothered me most about Riley's story was Weetman's complete disregard for giving Riley any chance to engage with other kids who have diabetes. Riley talks about being sent on an outing with other diabetic kids and finding it so uncomfortable she's never tried it again. Her parents offer to send her to a diabetes camp halfway through the novel and she refuses that too. But Weetman never bothers to emphasise the fact that going on these activities would give Riley - and her controlling mother - the opportunity to connect with other people in her position.
I've been on those outings and those camps. And they can be awkward and uncomfortable depending on who else is there but when the stars align, they can be beautiful, uplifting experiences where you truly do not have to worry about being disabled. The greatest days of my childhood were the days I got to spend with other disabled kids without any ableism or access barriers in sight.
Disabled people need other disabled people. We need our community and this is something able-bodied people never seem to understand which is why it's so frustrating to see it disregarded in a children's book. Growing up with a disability is an endless struggle against ableism from family, friends, teachers, carers, strangers on the street. But connecting with other disabled kids through camps and activity programs are something that breaks up that tsunami of discrimination. It killed me to see Riley denying that opportunity and for Weetman to treat it like normal.
Because it's not normal for disabled people to be isolated from other people with their disability. It's not normal for preteens and teenagers to ignore their medical responsibilities to try to fit in with their friends. It's not normal for parents to control every aspect of their child's disability and refuse to teach them to care for it themselves. It's all ableism and it pains me to see all of this in a novel for kids who probably don't have access to the broader disability community to learn any different.
I was promised this was a story about friendship and self-acceptance but this is just another book by an able-bodied author who bothered to research a medical condition but not the disability community. If you want to write about us, learn what our lives are actually like because we are proud of our disabilities and that's what disabled kids need to see in the books written about them.
Warnings: Ableism, medically dangerous behaviour, bullying and mental health themes.
August 9, 2019
Another wonderful middle-grade book from the queen of #LoveOzMG, Nova Weetman!
I savoured my reading of this one - dipping in and out of it over the last couple of months. I'm sure this is being called a "quiet" contemporary MG book, but I think for many young readers this will ring so loud and true.
It's the tender and deeply-felt tale of two girls who become friends on the fringe - each feeling ostracised for the differences they can't hide, no matter how they try.
Nova is so good at writing interior-worlds of young people, and giving them the seriousness they're due. Young readers must feel so *seen* when they read her books, and that's both the hardest and most important thing.
I love, love, loved this - gift it to every young person you know!
I savoured my reading of this one - dipping in and out of it over the last couple of months. I'm sure this is being called a "quiet" contemporary MG book, but I think for many young readers this will ring so loud and true.
It's the tender and deeply-felt tale of two girls who become friends on the fringe - each feeling ostracised for the differences they can't hide, no matter how they try.
Nova is so good at writing interior-worlds of young people, and giving them the seriousness they're due. Young readers must feel so *seen* when they read her books, and that's both the hardest and most important thing.
I love, love, loved this - gift it to every young person you know!
July 31, 2019
Meg and Riley, the two main characters in this book, are both 12 years old and they spend quite a bit of time in the school sick bay - Meg hides out in there and Riley is diabetic. Meg's Dad has passed away and her Mum can barely get out of bed, let alone go to work or the shops, or even prepare a meal. Riley, on the other hand, has an overly protective mother, always fussing over her diabetes and not letting Riley out of her sight. The problems the girls face in this book are very realistic and I thought it was a wonderful, quick read.
November 27, 2019
Two grade six girls, Meg and Riley, meet in Sick Bay. Why are they in Sick Bay? Well -they each have their reasons.
Ever since Meg’s Dad died and her mother is consumed by a deep depression Meg goes to sick bay to get fed by office lady, Sarah, and has time out with her two emotional crutches – a brown paper bag for breathing into and her well-thumbed copy of Anne of Green Gables.
Riley is new to the school and is type 1 diabetic and hates the monitoring it requires – especially how that impacts on her ability to hang out with her new friends. But if her friends don’t understand her diabetes are they really friends?
It’s the end of grade six and so much is about to change. Both girls are caught in a gap between their home lives and school lives, their truths and their lies. Maybe it is only in sick bay that you can truly be yourself?
Nova Weetman is a writer of incredible sensitivity. She mines emotional gems from even the most gentle of moments and does so with such authenticity it makes your heart pound. With each chapter from the alternate girl’s POV, the plot is absorbing as we see how these two lives intersect as they head towards grade six graduation and finding the strength to be themselves.
Even thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Oh my heart!
Ever since Meg’s Dad died and her mother is consumed by a deep depression Meg goes to sick bay to get fed by office lady, Sarah, and has time out with her two emotional crutches – a brown paper bag for breathing into and her well-thumbed copy of Anne of Green Gables.
Riley is new to the school and is type 1 diabetic and hates the monitoring it requires – especially how that impacts on her ability to hang out with her new friends. But if her friends don’t understand her diabetes are they really friends?
It’s the end of grade six and so much is about to change. Both girls are caught in a gap between their home lives and school lives, their truths and their lies. Maybe it is only in sick bay that you can truly be yourself?
Nova Weetman is a writer of incredible sensitivity. She mines emotional gems from even the most gentle of moments and does so with such authenticity it makes your heart pound. With each chapter from the alternate girl’s POV, the plot is absorbing as we see how these two lives intersect as they head towards grade six graduation and finding the strength to be themselves.
Even thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Oh my heart!
July 19, 2019
Sick bay is the one place where Meg feels safe at school. There, she is free to be herself, away from stares and whispers and the fickleness of lost friendships. Her anxiety – and her trusty companion, the brown paper breathing bag – provide Meg’s all-season ticket to the little room with the poster of the healthy eating pyramid and the possibly very germy bed. But when new girl Riley ends up in sick bay, too, Meg’s tiny kingdom of calm is overturned. She’s forced to engage with a girl who fits in everywhere and is welcomed by the kids who think cool and cruel are synonymous. It’s the last thing Meg needs piled on to her slight shoulders.
Read my full review at my blog.
Read my full review at my blog.
June 11, 2021
It All Begins with Jelly Beans is a sensitive middle grade book about unlikely friendships, living with Type 1 Diabetes, and coping with the loss of a parent. Set in Australia, this book also features a main character with anxiety, tackles bullying, and is written from the perspective of two narrators. This heartwarming story of connection and finding one’s voice makes for a satisfying read.
Read my full review on my blog and enter to win a copy of this book!
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review on my blog and enter to win a copy of this book!
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2019
Review from my daughter, who inhaled this book:
This Nova Weetman book is one of the best books she’s written in my opinion! It follows the lives of 2 girls with their family and friends who are 12, and are in Year Six. The story is very, very realistic. Throughout this book, I felt the emotions the characters were feeling as they went through each day and problem. I would definitely recommend this book to other people my age!
This Nova Weetman book is one of the best books she’s written in my opinion! It follows the lives of 2 girls with their family and friends who are 12, and are in Year Six. The story is very, very realistic. Throughout this book, I felt the emotions the characters were feeling as they went through each day and problem. I would definitely recommend this book to other people my age!
September 9, 2020
GREAT BOOK OK READ IT NOW AND YVETTE SHOULD ALSO READ THIS
September 16, 2020
Gorgeous story of finding friendship in unlikely places. Of grief and mental illness. Of fitting in and not fitting in at school. Of class and status in the school grounds. Of managing chronic illness while navigating all of the above.
October 19, 2019
Trigger warnings: bullying, death of a parent (in the past), parent with mental health issues, medical crisis.
I can understand why tweens are loving this book. It's fast paced and easy to read, and both the protagonists are very likeable. Even though they're dealing with serious issues that many kids won't be able to relate to - Type 1 diabetes on one side and a parent whose grief has spiralled into mental health problems and extreme poverty on the other - there are enough common problems in the story to ensure that young readers will find the characters relatable.
I liked that the story focused not only on the budding friendship between the two girls but on the importance of there being a safe space for kids to go in schools. In this case, it's sick bay. In my case, it was the library. For some kids, it's the art room. Etcetera.
Wearing my adult/school employee hat, I had two small problems with this:
Also I laughed multiple times about how extra Lina was. Homegirl needs to chill.
I can understand why tweens are loving this book. It's fast paced and easy to read, and both the protagonists are very likeable. Even though they're dealing with serious issues that many kids won't be able to relate to - Type 1 diabetes on one side and a parent whose grief has spiralled into mental health problems and extreme poverty on the other - there are enough common problems in the story to ensure that young readers will find the characters relatable.
I liked that the story focused not only on the budding friendship between the two girls but on the importance of there being a safe space for kids to go in schools. In this case, it's sick bay. In my case, it was the library. For some kids, it's the art room. Etcetera.
Wearing my adult/school employee hat, I had two small problems with this:
Also I laughed multiple times about how extra Lina was. Homegirl needs to chill.
June 20, 2019
This was so raw and real - full of friendship, family and feelings with a really authentic voice. I loved it.
January 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but giving it a slightly lower rating because a few issues around disability and mental health could've been handled somewhat better. First, Riley doesn't really come to accept her diabetes. It's realistic that she doesn't want to hang out with other diabetic kids just for the sake of it, but if that reluctance had been overcome a bit she might have found some social support and understanding from them, and that could've been a really valuable experience for her. Second, at the end it becomes clear that some, if not all, of Meg's panic attacks are not real. She fakes them because it's the only coping strategy That has been modeled for her to escape when her emotions are overwhelming. This may be somewhat realistic, but I don't think middle grade kids would all get the point that even if all of the panic attacks aren't real Meg's mental illness or emotional distress are. Also Meg could be neurodivergent, and presenting her issues in such a way that a reader might think she just made it all up to escape when she didn't like something could harm kids struggling with their mental health in the real world when they may not know how to express their distress accurately. These issues could be managed with some discussion between young readers and parents or teachers, so I still think this book is worthwhile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2020
I think this story of dealing with grief, coping with Type 1 diabetes and trying to be the same as friends, friendship making and breaking, trying to fit in and bullying would work well for less confident students doing 1.10. It would be a fantastic set text for Y7-8, and Y5-6 students would enjoy it too.
July 2, 2019
Nova Weetman has written an extraordinary story that will make you laugh and cry. Told as a dual narrative we see the point of view of two girls from Grade Six who couldn’t be more different - well, at least on the surface. They meet in sick bay at school - one girl Meg desperately wants to be there to avoid the rest of her life and school, whereas Riley is doing everything she can not to be seen in sick bay. Meg is grieving and Riley is coping with her life-long but manageable condition of diabetes. Riley is trying to fit in with the cool girls at school and this means downplaying her condition which can lead to some very dangerous consequences. Over time the girls find that they actually have more in common than they thought and they also questions what friendship really means. This is a powerful novel and many readers in late primary school, early high school will relate to the characters of this novel.
Suitable for 9+
Teacher’s notes: http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/store/images...
Suitable for 9+
Teacher’s notes: http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/store/images...
August 18, 2019
Nova Weetman continues her winning streak of middle grade fiction with another brilliant insight of a Grade Six girl. The friendship building here is classic school stuff and the complex issues are dealt with tender care.
September 4, 2019
I’ve started to read middle grade fiction for a few reasons. I want to be able to recommend and even “screen” books for my going-on-ten year old, I like to sometimes cleanse the palette with something shorter and easier to read, the themes are different and interesting, I’m thinking of giving middle-grade writing a go, and mostly because the stories are good. Often we discount and underestimate children—what they like, what they’re capable of—and therefore see middle-grade as not worth the read. Among the many YA and adult fiction books I’ve read the past few weeks, two have been middle-grade, and Sick Bay blows almost all of them out of the water.
It explores the themes of friendship, frenemies, transition period from primary to high school, grief, mental illness, chronic illness, peer-pressure, and poverty, but with a heartwarming story and characters you can grow attached to. I loved reading about Riley and Meg (with a G), and I know you and your kids will too. I can’t wait until my eldest is a little older so she can get to know Riley and Meg too.
I highly recommend Sick Bay for everyone with kids 10-13, but especially those who have lost parents, experienced depressed parents, are chronically ill (more specifically diabetic), or have friends that don’t act so friendly.
“It’s so hard to get up again — although of course the harder it is the more satisfaction you have when you do get up, haven’t you?” —Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables
It explores the themes of friendship, frenemies, transition period from primary to high school, grief, mental illness, chronic illness, peer-pressure, and poverty, but with a heartwarming story and characters you can grow attached to. I loved reading about Riley and Meg (with a G), and I know you and your kids will too. I can’t wait until my eldest is a little older so she can get to know Riley and Meg too.
I highly recommend Sick Bay for everyone with kids 10-13, but especially those who have lost parents, experienced depressed parents, are chronically ill (more specifically diabetic), or have friends that don’t act so friendly.
“It’s so hard to get up again — although of course the harder it is the more satisfaction you have when you do get up, haven’t you?” —Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables
April 25, 2023
Still pondering how I feel about one element (spoiler: it’s revealed that a character sometimes fakes panic attacks, although they still did have them sometimes and were dealing with other very real mental health struggles, bullying, and poverty). I think it’s part of the whole “no one is normal” and “we should let people seek out the help they need regardless of exact labels” point of the book, so I don’t necessarily hate it? But I can see people feeling like it’s harmful and unnecessary.
But overall this was a lovely little story. At times it did read like a “very special episode” (the diabetes stuff was sometimes a bit too pamphlet-y, but on the other hand I do think that’s great for people who don’t know much about it). But the characters were flawed but lovable, and I really loved their friendship. I love disabled kids rep where they’re imperfect and don’t do everything right but you’re still rooting for them. And I like reading that the author talked to a kid with diabetes directly, as opposed to just doing general research and/or talking to parents of kids with diabetes. I feel like it gave a good specific “12 year old with diabetes” perspective. And I did get quite emotional and cry.
TW extreme depression, neglect of a child, panic attacks, hunger/food insecurity, bullying, death in the family, a character ending up in the hospital due to ~ableist bullying (from a “friend”)
But overall this was a lovely little story. At times it did read like a “very special episode” (the diabetes stuff was sometimes a bit too pamphlet-y, but on the other hand I do think that’s great for people who don’t know much about it). But the characters were flawed but lovable, and I really loved their friendship. I love disabled kids rep where they’re imperfect and don’t do everything right but you’re still rooting for them. And I like reading that the author talked to a kid with diabetes directly, as opposed to just doing general research and/or talking to parents of kids with diabetes. I feel like it gave a good specific “12 year old with diabetes” perspective. And I did get quite emotional and cry.
TW extreme depression, neglect of a child, panic attacks, hunger/food insecurity, bullying, death in the family, a character ending up in the hospital due to ~ableist bullying (from a “friend”)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2019
This book gave me so many feelings! It was very difficult to read a book as an adult about 2 girls that are 12 going though what they are going through, hard home life, medical issues, bullying etc. Firstly because I am not thinking like a 12 year old, im yelling at these girls to stand up for themselves as a logical adult but they cant just always explain how they feel because they are explaining it to someone who both doesnt understand and doesnt care. But this book gave me so much hope, these girls are strong! Stronger than they realise, compassionate, caring and are the 2 kinds of girls you would want to be friends with. They deal with so much and yet still can see the good stuff.
Nothing but praise for this beautiful story.
Nothing but praise for this beautiful story.
February 28, 2022
I have to admit, I am completely out of practice in writing reviews, but I think ‘Sick Bay’ may have brought me back to the world of reviewing for at least a little while. I can’t help but want to share my love of this book.
A couple of weeks ago I was very lucky to have found a copy of this book at one of my local op-shops, so thank you kind donator who seems to have a fondness for Aussie YA/MG fiction, because it really helps me out!
Sick Bay brought back all of my primary school memories in the sick bay, which it turns out, I have quite a few of! While I certainly didn’t spend anywhere near the amount of time that Meg did in sick bay, I always had fun because the idea of the squishy blue ice bags was hella appealing, and there’s nothing more fascinating than some of the medicines and other medical equipment you occasionally got to glimpse when a nurse/receptionist would open a fridge or cupboard.
I also weirdly found that the layout described by Weetman was extremely similar to my own Australian primary school, and it brought me a lot of joy.
Y’all know I love a good Aussie YA novel, but I haven’t had much experience in Aussie MG fiction, and peeps, I think I am in love. So good, and it brings back allllll of the good mems. I am here for itttt.
The characters in ‘Sick Bay’ and their stories are so brilliantly told, and it brings back what I remember of my relationships with mates in primary school. Both Meg and Riley hold a special place in my heart for sure.
I also want to mention that rarely do we see younger characters with Type 1 diabetes, and while Stacey of The Babysitter’s Club was one example, her story and her worries never felt fleshed out. I think it is great to have a character like Riley for young readers to get to understand themselves and their friends, and I really think it will have a huge impact on people’s lives!
‘Sick Bay’ is definitely a book I will recommend to friends and young readers. Cheers Nova!
A couple of weeks ago I was very lucky to have found a copy of this book at one of my local op-shops, so thank you kind donator who seems to have a fondness for Aussie YA/MG fiction, because it really helps me out!
Sick Bay brought back all of my primary school memories in the sick bay, which it turns out, I have quite a few of! While I certainly didn’t spend anywhere near the amount of time that Meg did in sick bay, I always had fun because the idea of the squishy blue ice bags was hella appealing, and there’s nothing more fascinating than some of the medicines and other medical equipment you occasionally got to glimpse when a nurse/receptionist would open a fridge or cupboard.
I also weirdly found that the layout described by Weetman was extremely similar to my own Australian primary school, and it brought me a lot of joy.
Y’all know I love a good Aussie YA novel, but I haven’t had much experience in Aussie MG fiction, and peeps, I think I am in love. So good, and it brings back allllll of the good mems. I am here for itttt.
The characters in ‘Sick Bay’ and their stories are so brilliantly told, and it brings back what I remember of my relationships with mates in primary school. Both Meg and Riley hold a special place in my heart for sure.
I also want to mention that rarely do we see younger characters with Type 1 diabetes, and while Stacey of The Babysitter’s Club was one example, her story and her worries never felt fleshed out. I think it is great to have a character like Riley for young readers to get to understand themselves and their friends, and I really think it will have a huge impact on people’s lives!
‘Sick Bay’ is definitely a book I will recommend to friends and young readers. Cheers Nova!
June 12, 2019
I am so very glad I read this book. It's filled with beautiful writing (the description of the PE teacher alone delighted me), characters who fill the pages and a dual narrator style which works perfectly. This is going to be a must have book for the classroom - there's so much to discuss and savour in it. I highly recommend getting it into classrooms and libraries around Australia as soon as possible.
(PS. Don't start reading it right before you want to go to sleep . . . )
(PS. Don't start reading it right before you want to go to sleep . . . )
January 6, 2025
A heartwarming read for upper primary and early high schoolers! It's a beautiful story about friendship, empathy, and the importance of kindness. It reminds us that we never truly know what someone else is going through. With themes of grief, diabetes, and understanding, it’s a great book to teach or as a reminder of compassion and open hearts.
January 18, 2022
This Australian import is "an engrossing story about the myth of normalcy, the depths of grief, and the power of friendship to help deal with it all."
January 13, 2024
A beautiful novel of friendship and the challenges of being a young girl at school. I look forward to reading this out loud to my daughter.
September 15, 2020
4 stars, it was good but like... meh
December 10, 2021
Tää on yks parhaista kirjoista MAAILMASSA!!!!! Tää oli niiiiiiin hyvä etten kestä! Täs oli niin hyvä juoni ja niin ihanat hahmot ja ihana tarina!!💜💜💜💜 Otin tän koska söpö kansi jne, mut tää oli IHANA. Mä haluun lukee tän uudelleen. Eka en ois jaksanu lukee tätä ku ei täs eka tapahtunu mitää mut onneks luin tän!!!🖤
July 20, 2021
Gorgeous YR/MG writing. Real and warm and sad and happy. Lovely.
April 1, 2024
3.75⭐
A kids' book about friendship, built upon physical and mental health struggles that the main characters bond on.
😍 The good:
I kind of enjoyed the diversity of quotes collected from children's classics and scattered through the book. It made it sound a bit pretentious, but it fell into reasonable limits. The character development was nice to follow, the style was suitable and the conclusion positive.
😅 The not-so-good:
Did not really linger with me, as the plot was easily predictable. Some of the discussion on diabetes technicalities might also be a bit hard to understand for this age group.
A kids' book about friendship, built upon physical and mental health struggles that the main characters bond on.
😍 The good:
I kind of enjoyed the diversity of quotes collected from children's classics and scattered through the book. It made it sound a bit pretentious, but it fell into reasonable limits. The character development was nice to follow, the style was suitable and the conclusion positive.
😅 The not-so-good:
Did not really linger with me, as the plot was easily predictable. Some of the discussion on diabetes technicalities might also be a bit hard to understand for this age group.
June 18, 2019
Sweet book about two girls who meet in the Sick Bay at school during their last year at primary school.
Meg hides there so she doesn't have to deal with people, Riley hides her diabetes there. Together they learn to come out about things that are concerning them.
Explores dealing with forms of sickness, navigating relationships and growing up, but comes across as super white, upper/middle class, so not a good choice if you are looking for a diversity read. Even the poverty portrayed in it is reiterated as temporary.
Meg hides there so she doesn't have to deal with people, Riley hides her diabetes there. Together they learn to come out about things that are concerning them.
Explores dealing with forms of sickness, navigating relationships and growing up, but comes across as super white, upper/middle class, so not a good choice if you are looking for a diversity read. Even the poverty portrayed in it is reiterated as temporary.
May 18, 2019
A powerful novel for the middle years about the struggles faced by many student trying to ‘fit-in’. Weetman has captured important issues associated with physical and mental illness with care and respect and will leave readers with both tears and smiles. Fans of this will love reading Jane Godwin’s ‘As Happy as Here’ next!
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