Title: How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade 5

Author: Carla Fitzgerald.

Reviewer: Donna Dobson

When I read a children’s novel, I do so with the thought ‘what would a child think of this book?’ … And that is how I approached the read of ‘How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade 5’ by Carla Fitzgerald.

Within the first few pages it is revealed that 11-year-old Harper intercepts her dad, the new Prime Minister of Australia, haphazardly heading off to a suspicious conference, which may be not a conference at all, and he leaves his mobile phone behind. As the phone pings with messages, Harper finds herself pretending to be her dad, as she juggles protecting his reputation and that of her family. She lets her younger sister in on the predicament, and the two girls find themselves covering for their father, and under pressure to come up with a new policy. But there are benefits- red frogs and Maccas delivered to the front door of Kirribilli House!

This book is a humorous read, and encourages the reader to believe that we can all be strong when the going gets tough.

It is a book that children would enjoy hearing being read aloud, and to be a successful middle school novel that is read by its targeted audience, it would probably need to be recommended by a teacher librarian, and placed in the hands of the right child.

Teachers’ notes available for UQP titles via: https://www.uqp.com.au/books