Belly Flop

by Morris Gleitzman

11 year-old Mitch lives in a very remote Australian town. Desperate to win friends and earn his family the gratitude of the hostile locals, he decides to become a world champion diver. Trouble is, there's no water big enough to dive into for 600 miles... A new, bitter-sweet and brilliantly funny novel from an internationally acclaimed children's writer.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Indonesian Literature, Australia

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic style has endeared him to children and adults alike, and he is now one of Australia's most successful authors, both internationally and at home. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.

Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as paperboy, bottle-shop shelf-stacker, department store Santa Claus, frozen chicken defroster, fashion-design assistant and sugar-mill employee. In between he managed to gain a degree in Professional Writing at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Later he became sole writer for three award-winning and top-rating seasons with the TV comedy series The Norman Gunston Show.

Morris wrote a number of feature film and telemovie screenplays, including The Other Facts of Life and Second Childhood, both produced by The Australian Children's Television Foundation. The Other Facts of Life won an AWGIE Award for the Best Original Children's Film Script.

He also wrote live stage material for people such as Rolf Harris, Pamela Stephenson and the Governor General of Australia. Morris is well known to many people through his semi-autobiographical columns in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald magazine, Good Weekend, which he wrote for nine years.

But the majority of Morris' accolades are for his hugely popular children's books. One of his most successful books for young people is Two Weeks with the Queen, an international bestseller which was also adapted into a play by Mary Morris. The play had many successful seasons in Australia and was then produced at the National Theatre in London in 1995 directed by Alan Ayckbourn, and also in South Africa, Canada, Japan and the USA.

All his other books have been shortlisted for or have won numerous children's book prizes. These include The Other Facts of Life, Second Childhood, Misery Guts, Worry Warts, Puppy Fat, Blabber Mouth, Sticky Beak, Belly Flop, Water Wings, Bumface, Gift Of The Gab, Toad Rage, Wicked! and Deadly!, two six-part novels written in collaboration with Paul Jennings, Adults Only, Toad Heaven, Boy Overboard, Teacher's Pet, Toad Away, Girl Underground, Worm Story, Once, Aristotle's Nostril, Doubting Thomas, Give Peas A Chance, Then, Toad Surprise, Grace, Now, Too Small To Fail, and his latest book, Pizza Cake. Morris' children's books have been published in the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia and Czechoslovakia, Russia and China.

Reviews

[Johara Almogbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one from my childhood. My parents had gotten it as a gift from the one time they'd gone on Virgin Airlines, which I think is an excellent marketing gimmick.

Overall, good book. I liked Gran and the Webbers. The townspeople I hated, because they're hateful people who're mean to a kid for circumstances out of his control. It's not his fault they took out loans, and it's not his dad's fault they didn't pay it back, and it's not the mum's fault it never rained. So although I'm glad things worked out in the end, I'd rather the whole family had moved somewhere else because who's to say the townspeople won't turn on them again?

All in all, good book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

11 year-old Mitch lives in a very remote Australian town. The town is gripped by a severe drought and his father works for the bank. It is his role, to tell farmers that they must either pay up on their loans or leave. Desperate to win friends and earn his family the gratitude of the hostile locals, he decides to become a world champion diver. Trouble is, there's no water big enough to dive into for 600 miles...

Mitch frequently draws on the help of Dougy, his guardian angel. His gran introduced him to idea of a guardian angel and at age 11, he is still a firm believer - much to the consternation of his parents and school friends. Initally, he thinks that it is Dougy who has magically filled the pool; however, he later discovers that a letter sent to his gran contained an invoice from a water company.

Eventually, rain comes and then it won't stop. The town transitions from drought to flood. It is his family who help rescue some of the town's people in a boat (after a huge tidal wave) and in turn win their approval back. By the end of the story, Mitch realises that he doesn't need Dougy (p163) and that he can handle life on his own. At the end of the story, Mitch realises that Dougy is not going to save him and that he has to dive into the dark, swirling water - and here the story ends with him doing a belly flop.

[Toni Umar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good reed by Morris G. Bought it for my 12 year old grand son and 10 year old grand daughter but neither interested. I absolutely loved it, very aussie style with lots of slang but also a great gentle message about hope, friends and families. Quick and satisfying read - thank you.

[Brionee Noonan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great fun book. I read this with my nephew (8 y.o) and he loved the main character. He identified some similarities and it sparked discussions with him about drought, poverty and religion.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This rating comes from my 12 year old self, in a recently discovered school assignment.

[Brooke Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing I loved this book I love Morris gleitzman as a author

[Jo Beale]

1996 tom's

[Vcmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, funny, touching, delightful. Typical Gleitzman

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morris Gleitzman was a favorite author when I was in primary school and I read everything he put out. The covers were quirky and weird, and every time I laughed and wanted more.

*Note, I haven't read these books since I was a child myself, so this review will be repeated across all of Gleitzman's books I marked as read many years ago ;)

[Vishal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today is Christmas and I just finished this book. This is a book about a boy and his conversations with his imaginary guardian angel . I think today was a perfect day to read such a book even though it is just a children's book. :)
On any other day having different mood, I would have left it only after reading few chapters,

[Pujiyanto_x · Rating 3 out of 5]

seperti biasa, imajinasi liar tokohnya membuat buku-buku Gleitzman lain dari pada yang lain.
Kali ini tentang Mitch yang merasa memiliki malaikat pelindung.
Teman khayalan yang selalu ia mintai saran dan ia anggap keberuntungan... kenapa tidak?

[Alisha Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Belly Flop
Series: -
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Genre: Children's
Rating: 3 stars

Morris Gleitzman was one of my absolute favourite childhood authors - I even got his autograph! His books are light and easy to read and have a comedic value only Andy Griffiths could match.

[hujanlia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading it pages thru pages can make you think will a magical thing really happen to the boy?
You'll find family love in this story and it succeeded in touching me :)

[Rini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like angels so much, so just like my friend sawamura-sama i like this book too even this book it's been included as child book. love it... i do believe people are angels and also demons.

[SR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this from a Virgin Airlines in-flight bag when I was eleven. Interesting book.

[Uci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is the Morris Gleitzman that I like :)

[Speakercoret · Rating 3 out of 5]

14-11-09 minjem ma harun

[Meaghan Mallia · Rating 2 out of 5]

morris gleitzman is a good author but i cant really remember this book weather it was good or not

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Morris Gleitzman when I was a kid. So much so that my mum took me to see him do a talk for kids who wanted to be writers. He signed my book and was very encouraging. Good memory :)

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok but I have read worse books in my life

[Natania]

How do you read it

[Wendy Ju · Rating 2 out of 5]

UM..........................................
OK