How to Spell Catastrophe

by Fiona Wood

Nell McPherson is a catastrophe expert, but nothing has prepared her for the impending catastrophe of her mum's plans to merge families with boyfriend, Ted and his annoying daughter, Amelia. As if that's not dire enough, grade six is turning into an emotional obstacle course as Nell moves away from her old spelling bee friends and into some rule-bending with new girl, Plum.

When Nell decides to tackle the biggest catastrophe of them all, climate change, and campaigns for grade six to attend the School Strike 4 Climate, old friends and new will come together, and along the way plans to foil the family merge give way to an understanding that it might not be such a disaster after all.

Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Family, Friendship, Young Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2022

About the author

Fiona Wood is the author of young adult novels, Six Impossible Things and Wildlife. Her third book, Cloudwish, will be published in the US in October. Before writing YA fiction, Fiona worked as a television scriptwriter for twelve years, writing everything from soap, and one-hour adult drama, to children’s drama. Prior to this she dropped out of law and completed an arts degree, both at Melbourne University, worked in marketing and in arts management, did some freelance journalism, and studied screenwriting at RMIT. She has served as a judge for the AWGIE Awards (Australian Writers’ Guild) and is an ambassador for The Stella Prize Schools Program. She has two YA children, and lives in Melbourne with her husband.

Reviews

[Karys McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect middle grade book! Beautifully written and filled with humour and heart, I loved this so much.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve liked Fiona Wood’s other works and this is no exception. With fleshed out, enjoyable characters, a zippy plot and plenty of emotion, this is a winner.

[Pan Macmillan Australia]

Sharing these reviews as Pan Macmillan Australia, the publisher of How to Spell Catastrophe.

'funny and charming...'
Books+Publishing

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

An authentic heart-warming story of Nell's journey through year six. She's not perfect and that's perfect.

Her struggles with friendships, the possibilities of a blended family and her own anxieties are charted seamlessly.

Of course I loved it.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the cover, the writing. However, unlikeable adult characters and forgettable characters.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: mental health, vomit, death of a parent (in the past), bushfire (in the past), anaphylaxis

3.5 stars

Fiona Wood always does a fabulous job of capturing the teen/middle grade voice, and while this was occasionally heavy handed in regards to climate change and youth protest, the way it discussed the complexities of becoming a blended family and the anxiety that can be brought on by such change was well done. The friendship complexities were well handled, although I did want a TAD more character development from Plum.

I do have to note that as a school employee, the publisher's decision to write "grade six blue" every time Nell's homeroom was mentioned made my eye twitch. Like, I know publishing conventions say that you should write out numbers under one thousand (I think??) in words, but please, for the love of God, just write 6 Blue and call it good.

[Karen ⊰✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell and her mum have been a family unit as long as she can remember. Her father died when she was a baby and her only grandparent lives half way across the world, although they Skype weekly.
So when her mum announces that they are moving in with her boyfriend and his daughter Nell freaks out. Like many teenagers she has been so involved in her own life she missed the fact that her mum has more going on, and Nell does.not.want.this.to.happen.
Combined with a cool new girl in school she wants to befriend, Nell finds herself struggling with coming of age feelings and emotions.
This was a sweet and easy read with great characters. Perfect for the age group!
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for proving me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be easy to promote at school, a delightful middle grade book with strong female characters, climate action, friendship anguish and learning to be an agile family.

Bonus: page 197 where Fiona Wood has her own campaign to keep school libraries, teacher librarians and children reading. Insert emoji love heart here.

[Helen Farch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell McPherson is an expert on spelling and catastrophes. But all her preparations for how to survive catastrophes isn't helping her to cope with changing friendships or her mum's plan to have them move in with her boyfriend and his annoying daughter.

Nell and her friends are now in Grade 6 and suddenly everything is changing. There is a new girl in their class who Nell feels drawn to and she is determined to make friends with her. But where does that leave Nell's relationship with her existing friendship group and her place on the Spelling Bee team? Suddenly Nell is doing things no-one, even herself, expects and not all of them are good.

And then there is the one catastrophe that is too big for even Nell to come up with a solution for - climate change.

But with the help of her Scottish Grandmother who is a climate change activist, Nell is determined to get her school to agree that all the Grace 6 students can attend the School Strike 4 Climate rally in the city.


I absolutely loved this middle grade/lower YA story and it is the perfect example that a well written and engaging children's book is actually a great read for adults too.

All the characters feel totally authentic, real and utterly loveable and it is so nice to read a story where the parental figures aren't absent or abusive.

The issues the characters are dealing with are ones that so many of our children are dealing with.

Highly recommended for everyone to read.



Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the review copy of this book

[Nisha-Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never felt so much a Nineties nihilist as reading this. My god, that girl’s anxiety was exhausting. I had to force myself every time to come back to read some more. So no, I didn’t relate to any of it. Except one tiny bit that pierced right through, “Who let you in?” That paragraph.

Everything else left me quite unmoved.

I really should have known better than to read a novel about climate action/change. But I was so excited to see a new Fiona Wood novel.

And the sentence structure was so weirdly complex. Might have been a stylistic choice to reflect the tangled mindset of our young protagonist cos I don’t think I’ve noticed that about Fiona’s other books.

What the hell was up with the double-clicks? I’m going to have to research that. Fucken weird and mystifying and there must be some super evolved teaching reason I don’t know yet.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

catastrophe
/kəˈtastrəfi/

noun
1. an event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Nell is a expert in catastrophes but nothing prepares her for the life lessons ahead. Her mum decides it’s time to move in with her boyfriend and become a blended family, Nell hates Ted and his annoying little girl.

To add to the family drama Nell decides it’s time to quit the spelling bee, leaving her friends behind and starts hanging out with new girl Plum, who has no problems bending the rules.

Climate change is something Nell feels strong about and she decides to campaign the school for a strike to raise awareness. Plans fail, old and new friends align and Nell’s family merge in their on time showing her that life isn’t always one big catastrophe.

[Fiona White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ideal book for Year 6s - it captures all the confusion and turmoil of being top of the primary school heap, still a kid but no longer a kid. Nell's world is changing, she's changing and everything feels like it's tilting way out of control. Fiona Wood portrays this beautifully, bringing the reader right into Nell's space without making her too angsty. She tackles massive issues like climate change and smaller but still important issues such as friendship and family with gentle courage, I'm looking forward to adding this to the classroom library shelf and know that my students will love it.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet! It's a perfect MG book, filled to the brim with interesting characters, complex family dynamics, and a main character who was concerned about the world around her (catastrophes, change, climate change). I did feel like I was being hit over the head a bit too much with the climate change side of things, but I'm not the target audience.

Overall, a lovely book that I'm certain will be very popular.

[Kat Schrav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read for years 4-7. Nell is navigating the social landscape of year 6 and changes to home life with her mum’s new partner while balancing her fascination with ‘catastrophic events’. An honest examination of social and environmental anxiety, balancing new friendships with old and blended families/grief, targeted expertly to the age group.

[Ms Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell’s anxious journey through year 6 is compounded by a new girl at school, the impending blending of her family, the lasting impacts of a dad gone too soon, climate change, and the changes that come with growing up and figuring out who you are. This is a lovely story of character development - friendship, family, and self-awareness.

11+ Years

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Nova Weetman, a cute and lovely middle grade read covering important topics including; climate change, blended families, mental health and navigating friendship groups.

Read by Sam-Ellen

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Death of a father recounted

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. It was alright but I have read better.

[Rachel Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, devoured in one sitting on Manly Beach. Love Fiona Wood!

[Cecile · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet little read this book was.

In How To Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood we meet Nell McPherson who is a catastrophe expert, and keeps a journal of catastrophe preparedness. But nothing has prepared her for the impending catastrophe of her mum's plans to merge families with boyfriend, Ted and his annoying daughter, Amelia.

To top it off friendship woes mean grade six is turning into an emotional obstacle course as Nell moves away from her old spelling bee friends and into some rule-bending with new girl, Plum.

Nell needs to find a way to face the biggest catastrophe of them all, climate change, which has been too big for her to get her head around despite her grandmother Map being a longtime eco warrior. Nell campaigns for all of grade six to attend the School Strike 4 Climate and suddenly old friends and new are united for the cause. Along the way plans to foil the family merge may even give way to an understanding that it might not be such a disaster after all.

Lots to love and nothing to loathe in this middle grade goodie!