113:
Kirkus gave it a starred review: "This is an extraordinary book in honestly depicting the fear and cruel taunts that are common and perhaps natural in children who confront people who are different before they understand their humanity." Another reviewer puts it among contemporary junior novels
28:
and also is the name of a play adaptation by
Scottish-Australian playwright Mary Morris. The story follows a teenage girl called Shelley, who must accompany her mother to work in the summer holidays as her mother has no other way of minding her. Her mother works at a hostel for people with
142:
Jenny
Kendrick describes it as one of a number of "books in which the character with learning difficulties is not allowed to evolve at all, and is merely a vehicle for the development of the other child or children". Some of these are books in which "the young characters with learning
155:
is "a 'caring' narrative": Boss of the Pool is a book "in which the focaliser becomes a better person because of his or her circumstances, although the catalyst could indeed have been any crisis, since the character with learning difficulties is only superficially presented."
45:
138:
noted that
Shelley was an unsympathetic character, and described the book as "just too dreary to be enjoyable". By contrast, the reviewer for the Canberra Times felt that Shelley's emotional growth was depicted well, although they described the novel as "slightly didactic".
299:
Shelley is embarrassed when her mother starts working at the âretard farmâ. Why can't she get a decent job? At the pool, Ben is afraid of the water, but persists in hanging around the edge, and Tania in the wheelchair is organising a disco.
121:
Susanne Gervay cites the book as an example of "children's and youth literature becoming more confronting and realistic", addressing a range of conditions "either as a primary or more frequently as a secondary theme", along with
194:
408:
DiGianni J. Boss of the Pool (Book Review). School
Library Journal . June 1988;34(10):105. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 14, 2015.
118:'s classic Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby books, as involving conflict in the youthful protagonist who, like the reader, is struggling to establish their own autonomy.
417:
29:
disabilities, and
Shelley meets a boy called Ben, who really likes her, but is afraid of water. Shelley helps teach Ben to overcome his fear of the water.
540:
639:
458:
634:
581:
570:
274:
175:
360:
134:(1986) "sensitively" tackles "intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties". By contrast, the reviewer for the
619:
468:
370:
595:
484:
624:
287:
is also a play by
Scottish-Australian playwright Mary Morris. It was adapted from the novel of the same name, by
168:
345:
603:
492:
148:
123:
327:
Material from the play has also been used in a study of information literacy in
Australian youth.
152:
135:
8:
629:
541:"NEXUS: A School Based Approach to creating a Centre for Advancing Learning Excellence"
421:
143:
difficulties...are not only the sketchiest of stereotypes, but demonised as well", but
566:
464:
366:
312:
269:
316:
212:
127:
68:
193:
230:
115:
521:
388:"Butterflies: Youth Literature as a Powerful Tool in Understanding Disability"
613:
436:"Signifying Something: Images of Learning Disability in Fiction for Children"
507:
435:
387:
103:
288:
58:
25:
563:
The
Fiction Gateway: Enriching the Curriculum with Children's Literature
460:
The
Fiction Gateway: Enriching the Curriculum with Children's Literature
261:
250:
159:
At least two teaching guides for using the book have been published.
311:, the play, was first performed by Acting Out on 7 July 1990 at the
525:
107:
16:
1986 play written by Robin Klein and play adaptation by Mary Morris
538:
456:
362:
Books in the Life of a Child: Bridges to
Literature and Learning
44:
319:, and has been performed and reviewed a number of times since.
171:
includes it in their list of "classics" of "young fiction".
102:
The book was published in 1986. It addresses topics of
110:
and is discussed in numerous works about those topics.
457:Suzanne Eberlé & Noelle S. Williamson (2009).
539:Suzanne Downes; Tania Maley & Stephen Liseo.
611:
578:Untitled Review, Stephanie Owen Reeder (1986)
433:
385:
130:, which addresses AIDS and cancer. She notes
358:
560:
192:
43:
24:is a children's book by Australian author
561:Klein, Robin (2009), "Boss of the pool",
514:
601:, under Teaching Resources section, at
580:Reading Time : The Journal of the
612:
418:Attractive titles for younger readers
337:
176:Kids Own Australian Literature Awards
582:Children's Book Council of Australia
532:
500:
477:
450:
427:
379:
352:
86:Omnibus in association with Penguin
13:
554:
497:(under Teaching Resources section)
420:, Laurie Copping (2 August 1986)
343:
14:
651:
640:Children's books about disability
589:
585:, July no. 100 1986; (p. 75)
174:The book is listed in the KOALA (
169:National Library of New Zealand
411:
402:
303:
1:
330:
604:Times Educational Supplement
493:Times Educational Supplement
440:Disability Studies Quarterly
392:Disability Studies Quarterly
359:Maurice Saxby (1997-10-15).
7:
635:Australian children's books
10:
656:
268:
256:
246:
236:
226:
218:
208:
200:
191:
162:
90:
82:
74:
64:
54:
42:
485:"Teaching resources for
322:
124:Two Weeks with The Queen
596:Teaching resources for
434:Jenny Kendrick (2004).
386:Susanne Gervay (2004).
294:
181:
32:
625:1990s Australian plays
136:School Library Journal
620:1986 children's books
508:"KOALA Hall of Fame"
188:
39:
565:, ACER Press: 19,
522:"Boss of the Pool"
422:The Canberra Times
346:"Boss of the Pool"
186:
37:
572:978-0-86431-880-0
313:Playhouse Theatre
280:
279:
275:978-0-86819-355-7
247:Publication place
187:Boss of the Pool
100:
99:
38:Boss of the Pool
647:
598:Boss of the Pool
575:
548:
547:
545:
536:
530:
529:
518:
512:
511:
504:
498:
496:
487:Boss of the Pool
481:
475:
474:
454:
448:
447:
431:
425:
415:
409:
406:
400:
399:
383:
377:
376:
356:
350:
349:
341:
309:Boss of the Pool
284:Boss of the Pool
238:Publication date
196:
189:
185:
178:) Hall of Fame.
145:Boss of the Pool
132:Boss of the Pool
128:Morris Gleitzman
92:Publication date
47:
40:
36:
21:Boss of the Pool
655:
654:
650:
649:
648:
646:
645:
644:
610:
609:
592:
573:
557:
555:Further reading
552:
551:
543:
537:
533:
520:
519:
515:
506:
505:
501:
483:
482:
478:
471:
455:
451:
432:
428:
416:
412:
407:
403:
384:
380:
373:
357:
353:
342:
338:
333:
325:
306:
297:
257:Media type
239:
184:
165:
149:Elizabeth Laird
93:
50:
35:
17:
12:
11:
5:
653:
643:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
608:
607:
591:
590:External links
588:
587:
586:
576:
571:
556:
553:
550:
549:
531:
513:
499:
476:
469:
449:
426:
410:
401:
378:
371:
351:
335:
334:
332:
329:
324:
321:
305:
302:
296:
293:
278:
277:
272:
266:
265:
258:
254:
253:
248:
244:
243:
240:
237:
234:
233:
231:Currency Press
228:
224:
223:
220:
216:
215:
210:
206:
205:
202:
198:
197:
183:
180:
164:
161:
116:Beverly Cleary
114:comparable to
98:
97:
94:
91:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
66:
62:
61:
56:
52:
51:
48:
34:
31:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
652:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
617:
615:
606:
605:
600:
599:
594:
593:
584:
583:
577:
574:
568:
564:
559:
558:
542:
535:
527:
523:
517:
509:
503:
494:
490:
488:
480:
472:
470:9780864318800
466:
462:
461:
453:
445:
441:
437:
430:
423:
419:
414:
405:
397:
393:
389:
382:
374:
372:9780732945206
368:
364:
363:
355:
347:
340:
336:
328:
320:
318:
314:
310:
301:
292:
290:
286:
285:
276:
273:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
252:
249:
245:
241:
235:
232:
229:
225:
221:
217:
214:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
190:
179:
177:
172:
170:
160:
157:
154:
150:
147:, as well as
146:
140:
137:
133:
129:
125:
119:
117:
111:
109:
105:
95:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
70:
67:
63:
60:
57:
53:
49:First edition
46:
41:
30:
27:
23:
22:
602:
597:
579:
562:
534:
516:
502:
486:
479:
459:
452:
443:
439:
429:
413:
404:
395:
391:
381:
361:
354:
339:
326:
308:
307:
298:
283:
282:
281:
173:
166:
158:
144:
141:
131:
120:
112:
104:disabilities
101:
20:
19:
18:
304:Productions
289:Robin Klein
204:Mary Morris
59:Robin Klein
26:Robin Klein
630:1993 plays
614:Categories
331:References
126:(1989) by
262:Paperback
251:Australia
227:Publisher
83:Publisher
526:AusStage
344:Kirkus.
209:Language
108:literacy
65:Language
424:(p. B2)
260:Print (
213:English
153:Red Sky
69:English
569:
467:
369:
201:Author
163:Honors
55:Author
544:(PDF)
323:Other
317:Perth
219:Genre
75:Genre
567:ISBN
465:ISBN
446:(1).
398:(1).
367:ISBN
295:Plot
270:ISBN
242:1993
222:Play
182:Play
167:The
106:and
96:1986
78:Book
33:Book
151:'s
616::
524:.
491:.
463:.
444:24
442:.
438:.
396:24
394:.
390:.
365:.
315:,
291:.
546:.
528:.
510:.
495:.
489:"
473:.
375:.
348:.
264:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
