Friends Find a Way!

Written by Heather M. O'Connor

Illustrated by Claudia Dávila

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9386-3

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2023

 

When Suze first joined Tyson's class in Heather M. O'Connor's Fast Friends (2020), there was some nervousness about a non-verbal child in a wheelchair becoming friends with a boy who couldn't slow down. But, the two children did become friends, and fast friends at that, with Suze enjoying the speed in her wheelchair as much as Tyson loved helping her race about. Now the class is heading to the zoo for a field trip and both Tyson and Suze are excited to see the cheetah, an animal known for speed.

From Friends Find a Way!, written by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

At the zoo, the class are buddied up–Tyson with Suze–and told to stay together. As they focus on visiting different animals, the kids help direct the class, using the map. Of course, when it's time to see the cheetah, Tyson and Suze know just where to go. But as Tyson remains enthralled with the cheetahs, the class moves on, and suddenly Tyson and Suze are on their own. Tyson hadn't been paying attention, but Suze had, and though she can't express herself verbally, she knows how to tell Tyson where the class has gone.

From Friends Find a Way!, written by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

While some readers may see Suze's disability as the focus of Friends Find a Way!, author Heather M. O'Connor spends less time on Suze's limitations and more on the connection that Suze and Tyson have. That friendship may have been based initially on their appreciation for speed, but it has evolved into one of camaraderie, similar interests, and cooperation. There is no judgment about who can do or can't do something but instead shows them working together to get what they both need and want. It's that working together to navigate the rambling paths of the zoo to the missing class and to get there as quickly as possible that is how this friendship works. And a story about friends finding a way, whether to rejoining their class or to making their lives fuller and better, is the way to go.

From Friends Find a Way!, written by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Claudia Dávila, who illustrated Fast Friends as well as Friends Find a Way!, keeps her digital art colourful, upbeat and dynamic, just like Suze and Tyson. And her illustrations are as inclusive as Heather M. O'Connor's story. Claudia Dávila shows us people of all ages, abilities, cultures and more and makes them all part of the community. And with a delightful assortment of animals, from the sloth and red panda, Komodo dragon and kangaroos, she also takes us on a visit to the zoo alongside Suze and Tyson's class.

Friends do find a way to make things work and Tyson and Suze have found a friendship that works for them, whether at school or at the zoo. They are truly fast friends, both in the speed of their mobility and in the security of the connection, with new experiences strengthening that bond even more.

• • • • • • • 

 

Fast Friends (2020)

Friends Find a Way (2023)

Fast Friends

Written by Heather M. O'Connor

Illustrated by Claudia Dávila

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-7040-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

June 2020

With a play on words and a story of  friendship beyond differences, Heather M. O'Connor helps children see the importance of focusing on our commonalities which connect us rather than that which might separate us.

From Fast Friends by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Tyson is a boy who likes to do everything fast: run, eat, work. It often gets him in trouble with his teacher and classmates who might not appreciate the spills he causes or the impatience he has for them. When new girl Suze joins the class, in her shiny red wheelchair and helmet, Tyson notices how her eyes are drawn to his picture of a red race car and how interested she is in his books about fast jets and cheetahs. But, though he repeatedly volunteers to walk with her at recess, the teacher continues to pick others who either ignore her or put her to sleep. 

From Fast Friends by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

When Tyson sees Suze being raced to the playground with her older sister and taking delight in their fast play, Tyson knows how to bring out Suze's laughter and joy at school, if just given the opportunity.

From Fast Friends by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Though the reading level for Fast Friends might direct this picture book to children of ages 3-8, I think it's really one for all ages. It's for adults who disregard those children who are far too active for quiet activities. Moreover, though we must always ensure that play and learning and fun should never put anyone at risk, we don't always need to treat children with special needs as fragile or something other than children. Fast Friends is also for children who are excluded from activities because they don't recognize how they might be perceived. Tyson doesn't see that his actions are impacting others and can't connect his recess solitude with those circumstances. Most of all, the story is for everyone to recognize that all children are different, in their play and their learning, and placing preconceived ideas about what constitutes safe or effective play and learning does a disservice to all.

Heather M. O'Connor captured my attention with her gripping hi-lo novel Betting Game (Orca, 2015) about sports betting in soccer. In Fast Friends, she also deals with a seldom-discussed issue, the subtle discrimination of both hyper children and those with special needs. Most people, adults and children both, would never intend to exclude or negate the needs of these children but it happens thoughtlessly, though with the objective of protecting children. Still Heather M. O'Connor's words tell the story without condemnation or judgment, only emphasizing Tyson's recognition of what Suze enjoys. In fact, Claudia Dávila's art fills in the blanks for young readers, giving them opportunities to practise their visual literacy skills. Do they notice the titles of the books Tyson is reading and sharing with Suze? Can they read the expressions on the faces of Tyson and Suze and their classmates and teachers? How does Claudia Dávila demonstrate how fast Tyson likes to move? The blend of subtle text with bold art will draw young readers to the story and help them learn that fast friends may come from immediate connections as well as some speedy action.

From Fast Friends by Heather M. O'Connor, illus. by Claudia Dávila

Betting Game

by Heather M. O'Connor

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-0930-7

216 pp.

Ages 10+

October 2015

I've never been much for sports-based fiction, assuming that the plot and characters will be less than stellar when focusing on a sport and its logistics.  And it can be even worse if it is a sport with which I am not familiar.  But, though I'm not a big soccer fan, Betting Game easily captivated my interest with its action and suspense and honest teen characters.

Seventeen-year-old Jack and his brother Alex are very earnest about soccer, attending the Durham Lancers Soccer Academy, aspiring to positions in professional leagues.  Alex is the current captain and takes his responsibility very seriously while Jack is doing co-op with the Lancers' physio team, getting an inside track on injuries and the status of the players.  Not surprising then, when Jack meets a bookie, Luka, through his father at a Lancers game, Jack doesn't tell Alex about it.  Though Jack is chagrined when his dad shares with Luka Jack's successes on fantasy soccer online, Jack is finessed into dishing about the team himself and into placing his first real bet.

My first real bet.  It bumps the game up to a whole new level. Like watching a movie on IMAX instead of a laptop.  Or hearing your favorite band live.  No wonder people bet on sports. (pg. 27-8)

 As with all gambling, the successes beget further bets and Jack becomes both a benefactor of Luka's generosity and ultimately a victim of this relationship.  Meanwhile, the boys' team is learning to work with its new striker, Gil, and Alex, as captain, is distracted, leading Jack to get further and further into Luka's betting game.  

Heather M. O'Connor, an author whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Ontario Library Association's recent SuperConference, has no trouble grabbing the reader's attention with a fast-paced action-filled story.  Betting Game is undoubtedly the kind of read that will grip both sports fans and reluctant readers (at a reading level of 2.0, Betting Game is definitely a hi-lo book).  The story doesn't waste time with extensive prose, having Jack quickly falling deep into the betting game and, though he initially acknowledges the stupidity of his actions, he becomes addicted to the thrill of winning, of having a secret that sets him aside from his brother, and of the self-importance it cultivates in him.  And though hi-lo texts tend to place less emphasis on setting and atmosphere and characters, Betting Game does not lack these elements.  Instead, the story wins the reader over fully with its gripping storyline and its winning ending.  That just goes to show that you can't always bet on how things are going to turn out, whether it be a game, life or a book.

A Teachers' Guide is available from Orca Book Publishers at http://digital.orcabook.com/teachersguides-bettinggame/