What Ashley wants most, however, is for her mum and dad to get back together. Ashley loves her mum and dad, but it is hard when her dad is away so much travelling with his band and her mum goes out with her friends, leaving Ashley at home alone. Will Ashley ever have the family that she longs for?
A Game of Keeps is a thoughtful junior/middle fiction novel by award-winning Australian author Dianne Bates. This story doesn’t tie everything up in a neat bow by the end with Ashley happy because she finally has the ‘perfect’ family. Instead, it shows how modern families can be made up of neighbours, friends, and others willing to help and support people through challenging situations.
Read with a parent or in the classroom, A Game of Keeps offers ample conversation starters about family dynamics, friendship and community. The text is suited to confident older junior fiction and middle fiction readers with occasional internal illustrations by cover artist Teresa Lawrence.
A Game of Keeps is a touching story that reminds readers that things don’t need to be perfect for us to find happiness and a sense of belonging.
Title: A Game of Keeps
Author: Dianne Bates
Illustrator: Teresa Lawrence
Publisher: Celapene Press, $14.95 RRP
Publication Date: August 2014
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780987367785
For ages: 9+
Type: Older Junior Fiction, Middle Fiction
