David Harding and Izzy Folau, Pushed to the Limit (Izzy Folau #3), Random House Australia, 1 Sept 2015, 176pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780857986658
David Harding and Izzy Folau, Standing Tall (Izzy Folau #4), Random House Australia, 1 Sept 2015, 176pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780857986672
I came to these books with some concern because I live in an area where rugby does not have a strong following and so I have very little familiarity of the rules and finesse of the game, and no real interest in developing that understanding. However David Harding and Israel Folau have created a series of books which are enjoyable without prior knowledge, though a love of the game is certain to help young readers. Izzy Folau is a sporting phenomenon in that he has very successfully played three different football codes: AFL, rugby league and rugby union. He is a great role model, who has stated that his aim with these books is to reflect his own experiences: healthy eating, being active, playing fair, setting goals, working in a team and anti-bullying.
The books are aimed at upper primary students. The stories have training tips at the end. The pen and ink illustrations add interest to the text though for me they are a little stiff without clear characterisation.
In Pushed to the Limit, the Valley Rugby team are on tour in the Northern Territory, developing their skills prior to the state championships in Sydney. All members of the team have to adjust to the differences compared with home – the hot weather, the culture, the people. Daniel and Sione are the main characters in the story and the book is told from their perspectives. Daniel is focussed on his game, needing to win at all costs, as his father has taught him. He learns through his interaction with the Northern Territory players, some of whom are complete newcomers, that he can develop his skills at the same time as teaching others as well as becoming a more successful leading member of the team.
Sione, quiet and reserved but an excellent player, is slowly discovering that he can share his skills with others: those in the team as well as the boys he meets on tour. He develops a friendship with Jason and Kev who recognise Izzy but who have never played the game. Sione realises after their stay in the NT that he is changing and that he has things to offer other members of the Valley team.
This book is much more than just an account of rugby matches. Harding and Folau have created realistic characters who have a subtle but at the same time, didactic message. However this is not heavy-handed. Readers are sure to learn from the stories: how to interact with others, both on and off the field, and what is the best way to lead a group of their peers. Folau’s aim as coach of the team is to teach his charges some of the life lessons he has learned in his sporting career. The training tips focus on kicking and its importance in the game.
Standing Tall is the story of the Valley team’s five games in the Sydney Championships. Three of these were elimination matches before the final rounds.
Daniel and Sione are again the main characters and the reader can see their personal development.
However there are other players involved in the story, showing that the team is made up of everyone who plays and not just the main ones. Daniel is named as captain of the Valley team and he develops in that role as the competition unfolds. He is in conflict with one of their opponents whose unacceptable attitude is poor – taunting and jeering and trying to intimidate the opposition.
The Valley are the competition winners but not without a great deal of effort and team spirit, making the boys realise that winning is not an easy result. At the end of the book the importance of family and friendship, themes throughout the story, is reinforced when the boys’ families congratulate them and Daniel plans to visit Sione at his home.
The training tips focus on tackling and it is a skill which is mentioned throughout the story.
Both these books were a pleasure to read and the way is left open for further titles in the series. I hadn’t read the previous titles (reviewed in Reading Time) and, unintentionally, I read these two out of sequence, showing that each stands well alone. I will look out for future publications, as I enjoyed the stories despite my lack of rugby experience. The books are sure to appeal to a wide range of sports-mad primary-aged readers, especially boys, whether or not they are rugby fans.
Recommended for primary school and public libraries.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
