Description Share Post The First Year Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books) Nate’s starting The First Year of secondary school. It’s a time of scratchy new uniforms and separation from Mr Joshua. However, Turner’s there still, lurking, gorilla like, threatening Nate’s Beast. Then again, there’s Mum and Auntie San, and Jai and… Dylan. However, somehow the two of them, in the safety of primary school and the Playstation are a unit. Somehow Nate feels excluded from Mum’s Three Little Birds. Then again, there’s the sighting…. We know from The Final Year, Nate’s Mum’s feelings about his Dad. What’s more, we know his curiosity. However, Mum’s three are resolute that their Dads are ‘wastes of spaces’. However, what if there’s a shadow, an appearance, a challenge to all that Nate and Mum ever knew? Furthermore, this Year 7? Within a school that is so huge, wherein Mr Peters demands and disciplines but doesn’t see? What’s more Miss Latham, who evidently knows all about Nate’s circumstances, is so busy that even her Mini Bounties feel like afterthoughts. Who sees Nate? Who hears him? Could it be within his nest of friends, including Moons? Bookwagon is awed and moved by this outstanding book. How could Matt Goodfellow take up Nate’s story anew, this Bookwagoneer wondered? After all, isn’t his story complete? Already told? However, is anyone’s, ever? Aren’t we all moving and learning and reassessing? Thereafter, Bookwagon has been floored by this outstanding step into The First Year.
