Hayley Wells - Adolescent Novel: Uncovered!

Uncovered!

By Paul Jennings

SUMMARY:
Paul Jennings provides an adolescent novel containing several mini stories. Published in 1995, Uncovered! became very popular with students and within the libraries of schools. Paul Jennings authored work is usually strange, bizarre, funny, unrealistic at times and also sad. The stories within this book include:

For Ever

Too Many Rabbits

A Mouthful

Listen Ear

Picked Bones

Just Like Me

Ringing Wet

Backward Step

Public Hare

For Ever was my favourite as I believe it had everything! It was funny; the plot had a charming wittiness to it, and it was also sad to read leaving the reader with welling eyes. A beautifully told story of two brothers Richard and Tim. Richard has some sort of an intellectual disability where he can't speak and only makes a groaning noise. Tim is very sick; the reason is not made apparent as with Richard's condition.
All Tim's dreams of the oppurtunity to see snow and with his brother's disability and affliction with toilet paper, Richard makes his wish come true while Tim's strugggle for life comes to an end.
As there are no illustrations in the novel, the text must do all the work. Jennings is persistent in his descriptive language, dialogue and strange events to keep the reader entertained in each short story so that there is never a dull moment.

USE IN THE CLASS:
As Uncovered! provides students with a range of short stories, it is easy to get them engaged and interested in reading. Students can pick the story they want to read an analyse a variety of features such as:
- Author's language/slang
- Look at characterisation, settings and events
- Text structure
- Purpose of the text
- Story Shape (leading to climax)


LINKS TO ACARA:
Strand: Literature
Sub-Strand: Examining Literature

Uncovered! can be used with year 7 students to examine characterisation, settings and events from the story of their choice to make the lesson more meaningful and enjoyable for them. ACARA (2012), supports this by stating that students, "Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches."