John and Dom

This is a moving story about two boys' friendship in the face of devastating illness. "John and Dom" is a new verse novel by Sally Murphy, author of Pearl, which won the children's book category of the Australian Indie Book Award in 2009. John considers himself the ordinary one in his group of friends; clever, cool Dom is his best friend and together they make fun of the school bully. But when Dom falls sick with cancer, John's world falls apart. He and his friends are confused and angry. Eventually, though, they find ways to talk to Dom, and use humour to say the things that adults can't; they even find support and understanding from an unlikely source - the school bully. This is a sensitive, realistic look at issues of childhood illness and schoolyard bullying from a thoughtful writer. It deals with childhood illness in an understanding and sensitive way and with an uplifting and hopeful ending. It features striking illustrations by Rhian Nest James, illustrator of the highly successful "Samurai Kids" series.