< Previous  |  Back to book reviewing  |  Next >

Do It, Stuart by Janette Brazel
(Limelight Press) PB
ISBN 0977536122

Reviewed by Kathryn Duncan

Imagine your shoes talk to you. They tell you to do it; it being the things that you do not have the confidence to do on your own. When he finds himself unable to give a talk in front of his class, Stuart hears his shoes say "Do It, Stuart" and suddenly Stuart is able to tell his whole class about the person he admires most - Simon, the toughest kid in his class.

This is a story about children finding a way to overcome their lack of confidence. The concept is simple; the shoes act as Stuart's inner voice encouraging him.

At first I was a little concerned about what the shoes were encouraging Stuart to do: stealing, bullying, rudeness, but this was quickly allayed as the story led Stuart to realise that the person he really admired was not Simon, but the more relaxed, more supportive and much more likeable Max.

Do It, Stuart is an enjoyable story that shows how children can work things out for themselves. Stuart knew what he was doing was not right, but his desire to be popular and impress Simon was stronger than his moral feelings - something that is not unusual for a child of this age.

There is a strong focus on AFL football and this means that Do It, Stuart is more likely to appeal to boys, although the theme is universal. I would recommend this book for the 7-10 year age group.