Fiction Focus—Vol 15 No. 3 2001
Age 12 + This is a lively teenage novel which grapples with the evergreen
issue of boy-girl relationships in particular, but also deals with peer
group acceptance in general, and the problem of bullying in school.
Alex Jackson: Grommet is an excellent read, drawing
on the vocabulary of the modern adolescent, and presenting a credible
student-eye view of life in the early teens. Alex’s impressions
of school, of teachers, and of other students have a realism that makes
this book very engaging to read. Alex’s journey towards self-knowledge
and his gathering of experience are offered to the reader in a non-didactic
way, and allow us to learn from his rather tumultuous year. Even Alex’s
two mentors, his father and skateboarder guru, Casey, are quietly philosophical
in their advice to him, and the reader can learn from them as well.
For those students who like a high interest read
about the issues of adolescence and how one boy dealt with and learned
from them, then this is the novel. My reluctant reader son finished
the story in one night!
Brenda O’Neill
Viewpoint—Winter 2002
Was a time when the word love would never have passed the lips of any
self-respecting Year 8 boy. My, how times have changed! Young skateboarder
Alex Jackson has fallen head over heels (off his board?) in love with
Becky Tonella, a new addition to his class at St Joseph’s College,
a co-educational Catholic school in the less salubrious suburbs of Brisbane.
Alex appears to be a modest school student, but an
excellent student of skateboarding following in the footsteps of his
mentor, Casey, eighteen, wise beyond his years and way cool. He is generally
well-respected by the students of St Joey’s, with the exception
of his nemesis Billy Johnstone.
Alex Jackson: Grommet is a fast-paced tale which
is well suited to both male and female readers, with a good balance
of action and romance to keep in skating along.
MLM
(Author’s note: Some of this review has been omitted so not to
give away the ending)
Courier Mail—Dec 1, 2001
Alex Jackson is under pressure. Not only is he a grommet (a teenage
skateboarder), but he has also lied to his girlfriend and has to fight
Billy, the biggest kid in Year 8. Even though his dad says that “boxing
is a sport, and fighting is an attitude”, he doesn’t want
to look like a coward, especially when he has just started high school.
Young readers, girls and boys, will love the action and humour in the
story and perhaps reflect on the social comment.
Sue Richmond
Sydney Sun-Herald-Television
Magazine Lift-out. July 22, 2001
Alex Jackson is just a normal guy. He likes to skate, has a best friend
called Jimmy and a wicked sense of humour. Yet as he sets out on a new
school year, not even his weird father, a former boxing champion, can
prepare him for the trouble that he's about to get into. Alex Jackson:
Grommet is one of a growing number of books aimed at middle teens, in
which the main character takes us on an emotional roller coaster of
girlfriends, school bullies and family problems. Nevertheless, Pat Flynn's
debut offering provides us with a witty assessment of adolescent life,
and there's no doubt teenagers in particular will find it relevant.
By Tom Findlay
The Source-Chidren's Literature Web Guide. August,
2001.
Alex has totally and utterly fallen for Becky, a new girl at school,
who has sad eyes and a mysterious past.
He foolishly lets his friend, Jimmy, find (that is hack) Becky's email
address and pretends to be 'Juliette', a girl from Perth, in an exchange
of emails. Alex finds out more than he wants to know about troubles
in Becky's family. However, despite the guilt, the emails do help him
get the girl!
For a short while Alex has the heady experience of 'going with' Becky,
beating the school bully and having a cool reputation. It all comes
crashing down when the bully seeks revenge. Nevertheless he still has
his wonderful family, best mate and his skateboard. Not to mention his
very own guru at the skate park.
Alex is an entirely likeable boy-funny, passionate and vulnerable-little
wonder Becky loves him! A short novel about first love, full of zip
and vigour...and skateboards.
The Courier Mail-Head Start. October 23, 2001
Alex Jackson lives in Beeton, a suburb of Logan City, with his father,
a retired street fighter nicknamed "Chief", his mother Sharon
and sister Sam.
Alex is a champion skateboarder but is not very popular at school until
one day a boy called Billy Johnstone challenges him to a fight. Using
the moves that his dad taught him at the gym, Alex wins by making Billy's
lip and nose bleed.
Alex gets a week's detention for fighting. To his surprise, the following
week at school he suddenly is popular and Becky Tonella, whom he has
had his eye on for some time, starts paying him attention.
But Billy Johnstone won't let Alex get away with being the best skateboarder,
and getting the girl, so challenges him to another fight.
Becky runs away in shock and Alex has to come back down to earth again.
It's easy to relate to Alex and his schoolmates in their situations
and I'd recommend this easy-to-read book to anyone aged 12-14.
By Sam Sanderson
Magpies Magazine-August, 2001
From its great cover featuring a blonde-haired skateboarder 'getting
air' and bursting through the title to its glossary of skating terms,
we're left in little doubt as to who will be tempted to pick this paperback
from the new books display in a library or bookshop. Alex Jackson, in
his first year of high school in suburban Queensland, has two passions-skateboarding
and the alluring aloof Becky Tonella. As Alex grinds and ollies his
way throughout the 130 or so pages of this short novel, we meet his
friend, Jimmy; his mentor, 18-year-old local skateboarder Casey; a menacing
bully, Billy; and his family, teachers and others who figure prominently
in his life.
The use of language and tone effectively captures
the voice of a young teenage boy as he waivers between confidence and
agility at the skatepark and insecurity and nervousness as he attempts
to court Becky. In his eagerness to find out more about Becky, Alex
conspires to meet her via an online chat room and begins to exchange
regular e-mails under the alias, 'Juliette'. The use of the first person
narrative in these sequences affords an insight into Alex's sensitivity
and Becky's vulnerability.
The pacy plot builds to a climactic fight between
Alex and the taunting Billy and concludes with Alex regaining some dignity
in a skateboarding demonstration at school. Alex is able to discuss
the implications of his actions regarding the fight and the deception
behind his relationship with Becky with both his father (himself once
a boxer) and Casey (a respected role model). While these issues are
never explored in any depth and the story ends abruptly, this novel
will probably appeal to young teenage boys in upper primary-lower secondary
who will savour every gnarly move.
By Nola Allen
Australian Book Review-September, 2001.
Pat Flynn's Alex Jackson: Grommet gets off to a confused start:
no less than 15 named characters in five pages, and a narrator determined
to cram in as much background information as possible. Eventually the
story starts to sort itself out. When it does, as the title itself indicates,
we are in Lockie Leonard territory. The surfboard is a skateboard, Dad
is a retired boxer instead of a policeman and, like Tim Winton's eponymous
hero, Alex is having trouble adjusting to his first year of high school
and coping with his raging hormones:
Alex Jackson snuck a look at Becky Tonella for the
9th time since recess. She sat two rows in front, one aisle across -
perfect perving position… When he turned around to have a geek…
he got busted big-time by Mr Mackle.
Just who is telling the story is a little unclear.
An omniscient adult narrator sometimes, disconcertingly, interrupts
the flow of subjective third-person teen-speak and steps outside the
frame of the story:
They had met… after they'd had a punch-up during
a game of touch footy. Jimmy still reckons he scored the match-winning
try, but Alex is just as positive he touched the back of Jimmy's shirt
with a flying dive…
Alex has his own problems with voice. He invents
a female persona and enters an Internet chat room to make virtual contact
with Becky ('the hottest girl in Year 8'), which compounds his difficulties
when the relationship gets more intimate. The skateboarding sequences
and the sweet-sad romance will appeal to a pre-teen readership, but
unlike his skating protagonist, first time novelist Flynn just skims
the surface.
Ruth Starke.
(Authors Note: I think the last sentence means Alex gets big air.
At least she's got that right…PF)
Young Australian Reader's Awards-2001
Alex is a fourteen-year-old boy who attends St Josephs College. He enjoys
skateboarding above all else. He has a schoolyard crush on a girl named
Becky Tonella and a bone to pick with the school bully, Billy Johnstone.
He gets entangled in his crush until he decides to talk to her. Alex
finds out that this girl has a mysterious past and to find out more
he and his friend hatch a scheme.
This book is intended for teenage boys or someone who likes skateboarding,
romance or a realistic schoolyard theme and being a teenage boy I found
it very appealing. It was very well suited to the intended age group
and its choice of topic was ideal to capture the mind of the reader.
The storyline was a romance mingled together with a lot of reality and
had a technical computer and skateboarding side as well. The readability
was excellent for the intended age group, was very easy to read with
the layout assisting the reader to understand its context, but should
be read alone to let the reader enjoy the emotions and dwell on the
problems mentally. I personally found this book very enjoyable and recommend
this book to any teenage boy liking or disliking skateboarding or to
any youth that likes a good romance with the twists and turns of any
relationship.
James, aged 12, Canberra, ACT
A young boy in yr 8 has a dream of being a pro skateboarder.
This boy, called Alex, meets a girl who steals his heart. But, greater
tasks are ahead of him including facing the schoolyard bully to save
his girl.
The main characters in this story are Becky Tonella (girlfriend), Billy
Johnston (bully), Sarah Sceney and Jimmy - Alex's best mate.
This book is suitable for Young Adults who enjoy reading teenage books
about love and skateboarding. The size of the print is large which makes
it easy to read. The cover picture is eye catching. There are pictures
on the back and front covers.
I personally thought the book was fantastic and I would rate it 10/10.
I think everyone else who reads it would think the same as I did.
Pat Flynn has a great perspective of bringing the characters to life
and it seems accurate to what a boy in Year 8 would be doing. I hope
there will be more Alex Jackson books to come because I loved Grommet.
This is a book you cannot close!
Marcus 12yrs rural Victoria
This book is about a teenager who loves to skateboard.
He's just come to high school and he's already falling in love.
The main characters are Alex Jackson, Becky Tonella, Sarah Sceney, Jimmy,
Billy Johnstone and Casey. Sarah Sceney has liked Alex for 5 years and
is consistently embarrassing him in front of everyone. Jimmy is Alex's
best friend and hangs around him everyday. Billy Johnstone is a popular
kid and a bully but he is very embarrassed when Becky refuses to go
out with him. Billy gets into a couple of fights with Alex. Casey is
Alex's idol and shows Alex how to do skateboard tricks and gives him
advice along the way. Becky Tonella is a shy, new girl who is very pretty.
Alex falls in love with her. Alex is the main character of the book.
He can pull off tricks that no other Year 8 ever could.
The size of print is just right so I didn't have to strain my eyes to
see the writing. The cover is appealing and it looked good. There are
no pictures in the book which didn't matter because I could picture
it in my mind.
I loved this book. It's my favourite - maybe because I like skateboarding
but I just wanted to keep reading. I could've read for hours. Some bits
were annoying - like how Alex pretends to be Juliette.
Overall, I loved this book.
Sherman 12yrs rural Victoria
Alex Jackson, Grommet is a thirteen year old boy
stuck within a mode of romance and skateboarding.
Alex is a great skateboarder, but when it comes to girls, he is hopeless.
All he can do is stare. He, and his best friend Jimmy, plan a scam to
find out his one and only love, Becky Tonella. Along the way he gets
into a couple of fights with Billy Johnstone, the school bully, plus
he has to deal with Sarah Sceney who has loved him for five years and
written it everywhere. She has even told the teachers!
I recommend this book for children in Years 5 to 8 because the language
in this book is not for primary ages because of the occasional swear
words and skateboarding terms.
I give this book nine out of ten. IT is a wonderful romantic book and
is based on an everyday ordinary life. So if you like romance and everyday
life, this is the book for you.
Brook, 10, Luddehanm, NSW
Alex Jackson Grommet is about a 13 year old boy named
Alex who loves to skateboard. At first, he is just a normal boy in Year
8 going to a Catholic school in Queensland. But all that soon changes
after Alex has the guts to face the school's biggest bully, Billy Johnstone.
He then wins the love of his life, Becky Tonella. But Becky has a dark
secret, and together with his best friend Jimmy, Alex tries to find
out what it is that Becky is hiding.
Alex Jackson, Grommet is suitable for children in Year 5 and 6. It has
a bit of coarse language so it is more suitable for older readers. It
is good that there is a glossary included to explain the skateboarding
terms.
You are hooked from the beginning and it is great for both boys and
girls. It is a book about the ups and downs of teenage life and I would
rate it 10 out of 10 because it is so realistic. It is suitable to read
alone of out loud. I really enjoyed reading it.
Emma, 12, Luddenham
Alex Jackson: Grommet, is about a young and fantastic
skate boarder. He can pull off anything on a skateboard, but when it
comes to girls, Alex doesn't stand a chance, especially when the school
bully likes the same girl as Alex does, Becky.
This is a very appealing book and easy to read and to follow. It has
the classic cliché of boy meets girl who eventually fall in love.
But what Becky doesn't know is that Alex has been pretending to be a
girl named Juliette who Becky met over the Internet! It's a sports story
within a love story and is an exciting and enjoyable story for all people
from Years 5 to 7 to read. The story line is easy to follow and holds
together pretty well. The print is easy to read, not too large and is
well laid out.
Personally, I think Alex Jackson: Grommet is a very good story but is
a bit too easy for my age group. I would, however, recommend it to younger
children who want to sit back and have the opportunity to read an enjoyable
book. I rate the novel about eight out of ten, and I can't compare it
to any other Pat Flynn stories because I haven't read any!
Sam, aged 12, Canberra, ACT
Alex Jackson Grommet is about a young teenage boy
who is discovering the difficulties of high school life. He is a fairly
popular kid, as he skateboards, doesn't let anyone push him around,
gains a girlfriend and gets into school fights. When he finds out Becky's
secret he tries desperately to make sure it doesn't get out. As he slightly
holds on to his relationship, while trying to conquer the school bully,
he must not also forget the lesson his Dad has told him.
I think this book is very similar to high school life as I have seen
these events occur. I think this book is suitable for older readers
as the language and activities are not appropriate for younger readers.
I give it ten out of ten as it is a very exciting book and hard to put
down!
Ross, Luddenham, NSW
Alex Jackson is a 13 year old boy who goes to St
Josephs School In Queensland. Alex gets in fights against the bully
Billy Johnstone. He has a crush on Becky Tonella and he is a good skateboarder.
The book is interesting and easy to follow. It is based on a teenager's
life and tells of everything that teenage boys enjoy - skating, bullying
and girls. This book is very interesting and hard to put down. The language
that the author uses appeals to older readers and the skateboarding
terms may not be understood by younger readers.
I recommend this book for ages 11 and up because it is about teenagers
and what they like. I think teachers should read this book to their
class because they will want to use their free time to read it for themselves
because it is so interesting. I rate this book 9/10 because overall
this book is absolutely great and is so interesting.
Daniel, 11, Luddenham, NSW
Alex Jackson: Grommet is a story that relates to
a teenager's life. Its about a 13 year old boy who has a crush on a
new girl, faces a tough challenge from his worst enemy and above all
has to face the challenge of learning new tricks on his skateboard.
Basically it's a typical teenagers story that your life could relate
to.
The book is for teenagers as the storyline talks about girlfriends and
is set in a high school. The story is neither boring nor exciting, making
it just right for people who like peaceful books. Surprisingly, there
are no swearing words in the book, which are replaced by words more
appropriate. The writing is easy to read and understand, with approximately
270 words per page. The book is certainly not a read- along but definitely
a read-alone book. This book is not one of those that make you want
to know what happens on the next page. The only action is the main characters
skateboarding and a fight with an enemy. Alex Jackson: Grommet sounds
suspiciously like a daytime soap opera. I would give it 6 out of 10
Gordon, aged 14, Canberra, ACT
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Copyright belongs to Patrick Flynn
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