by ‘All the Noise that men spill outta themselves, all their clamour and clatter’ which comes ‘at you and at you and at you’, it’s not surprising that Todd has started taking long walks on the lonely marshes with his dog, Manchee, to try and find some peace. Even here, he still has Manchee’s thoughts to contend with, though they are somewhat basic in content and expression (‘Need a poo, Todd’; ‘Hungry, Todd.’)
While he’s trying to limit his exposure to Noise, and avoid whatever it is the older men have in store for him – a vague menace lurking around his imminent transition to ‘manhood’ – he stumbles across something unexpected. No women have existed on this planet since a virus wiped them out; and yet, here on the marshes, Todd finds cause to question this assumption . . . Teenagers will relate to Todd’s need for privacy – and also to the joy of one day finding someone with whom to share their innermost thoughts.
SEE ALSO: different, feeling • friends, feeling that you have no • friends, finding it hard to make • heard, not feeling • loner, being a • moodiness • trauma
anger
Over time, we learn to control the primal urge to shout, scream or hit – but it’s not a skill we’re born with. And if a child is exposed to peers, older siblings or grown-ups who express their rage inappropriately, or who never express it at all, a story can be a brilliant way to bring healthy role models into the house. When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry . . . shows what happens during an outbreak of red-hot temper – and a way of calming oneself down.
At first glance, the deceptively simple illustrations might be the handiwork of a child with a fat brush and poster paints: here is Sophie and her sister, with flat circles for faces, dots for eyes, and a red daub for the mouth. But their artfulness soon makes its impact. When her sister snatches her toy gorilla and so triggers her anger, Sophie’s face takes up the whole page, huge and there. And when her anger erupts, Sophie’s entire body sizzles with a jagged, red outline. When she runs out of the house, everything else starts to sizzle too – the slammed door, the trees, a squirrel – as if absorbing her projected upset. In time her anger starts to burn itself out, and her outline dims to orange. But it’s only when she finds an old beech tree – its gnarled branches spiralling up with a cool, blue aura – that it ebbs away completely. By the time she goes back inside her outline has faded to yellow, matching the rest of her family’s outlines – all of whom are now quietly getting on with other things and are glad to see her back. This story shows that anger is natural – and that it’s possible to deal with it by yourself without hurting other people’s feelings.
Children too old for tantrums and too young for hissy fits will find much to relate to in the magical, thoughtful Dogsbody. Sirius, the immortal Lord of the Dog Star, has lost his rag all too often. Now, he’s been accused of murder – and the celestial judge banishes him to Earth. Here, he must inhabit the body of a dog and find the ‘Zoi’, a weapon shaped like a ball, before he can return to his super-luminary state.
Sirius is humbled in various ways – first by enduring the horror of being unwanted; and then by becoming the pet of a poor family who mistreat both their animals and their children. Luckily he’s rescued by Kathleen, who loves the dog wholeheartedly, calling him ‘Leo’ – an imposition Sirius puts up with. Life is still not easy – Kathleen lives with an abusive aunt; and the search for the Zoi is hampered by Sirius’s doggy nature, which has him following his nose, literally, after all sorts of diversions from the path. Sirius still gets angry in his dog form – his eyes flashing green when he does – but it’s usually short-lived and in response to injustices suffered by Kathleen rather than himself. And when he finally returns to life as a shimmering, green star, he is far less inclined to rage and rant, having learnt to accept a few home truths.
Inappropriate outbursts of rage are explored in an eye-opening fashion in Breathing Underwater. On the surface, Nick Andreas has it all – a rich dad, a cool car provided by said rich dad, good looks and good grades. He’s also got a girlfriend, Caitlin. Told from Nick’s point of view, the story begins as Nick – having lost his temper and slapped Caitlin, leaving her badly bruised – complies with a court order to write five hundred words a week in a journal and attend an anger management course with other aggressive teens. At first Nick comes across as a sympathetic character. But gradually we start to see what really happens between him and Caitlin. When Caitlin wants to enter a talent contest for her singing, Nick won’t let her. Caitlin enters secretly – convinced that when he sees her from the audience fulfilling her dream, he’ll be thrilled. But the moment the recital is over, Nick takes her outside and hits her until she blacks out.
We abhor Nick’s actions, but by now we also know what he has had to endure at the hands of his own father, who has constantly criticised him and left him feeling worthless (see: abuse). When Nick begins to see how unacceptable his behaviour is, and that he needs to find ways to be a good boyfriend – and a good man – we root for him. For teens who find expression in their fists, or aggressive words, this story shows where the anger might be coming from – and how getting help will be like finally coming up for air.
| CURE FOR GROWN-UPS |
Children generally let us know when they’re angry in blunt and basic ways – such as hurling the ‘I hate you!’ line. Even the most quick-witted grown-up can find themselves lost for words when this happens – and feel hurt even though they know it’s an unconsidered sentiment provoked by a fleeting emotion. This book contains some good ideas on how to respond.
SEE ALSO: arguments, getting into • betrayal • sulking • violence
animals, being unkind to
What makes otherwise angelic children want to stamp on ants and slice worms in half? Perhaps it’s the rare chance to lord it over others (see: beastly, being). Or perhaps it’s because they haven’t yet learnt to feel empathy for the suffering of others (see: feelings, hurting someone’s). If you catch a child near you torturing insects, intervene with James and the Giant Peach.
When unhappy young orphan James – who, by the way, is on the receiving end of beastliness from humans himself – finds himself inside a giant peach, he’s alarmed to discover he’s sharing it with a variety
