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Children's Book Review: Sucked In, by John Parker
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
Another in the new Lightning Strikes series from Walker Books.
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I took the eye out of my pocket and stared at it.
It wasn’t made out of glass, like a normal doll’s eye. But it wasn’t plastic either. And it wasn’t rubber.
I sniffed it. My hooter came up with the smell you get when you sit in the front seat of a brand-new car. But there was something else, too – something down, like the smell of rotten grass.
Whatever it was made of, I didn’t like the way the eye gazed at me.When Dan finds out that his friend Zainey has sold his much-prized mountain bike to buy an eye, Dan thinks Zainey is crazy. After all, two hundred and twenty dollars for a fake eye HAS to be a rip off. But when the eye arrives in the mail, Dan soon realises it is no joke. There is something about the eye that unnerves him, and when the eye tries to attach itself to Dan, he realises that the eye is no joke. This eye is after blood. Sucked In is a funny, slightly spooky tale of an out of control eye and a boy who will do whatever it takes to feel he belongs. Zainey is a short boy who suffers from low self-esteem, and is thus willing to try anything to feel a part of things – even if he has to resort to adding an extra eye so he can see what’s going on around him. Whilst the story is humorous, its messages about friendship and self-belief are important ones. Part of Walker Books’ new Lightning Strikes series, Sucked In is attractively packaged and the shorter length and accessible text size and presentation will make it appealing to readers of all abilities. Sucked In, by John Parker
Walker Books, 2008
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The Floatingest Frog, by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Simon Bosch
Available now from Fishpond
Pemberthy Bear, by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Jacqui Grantford
Available online from Dymocks
New! Pemberthy Bear is now a blogging bear. You can read his thoughts online at Pemberthy's Ponderings.
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