ASO READER’S NOTES
TITLE:
The Simple Things
AUTHOR:
Bill Condon
PUBLISHER: Allen & Unwin
PRICE:
A$12.99/NZ $15.99
ISBN:
9781743317242
PUB DATE: March 2014
AUDIENCE: 7-9
READER:
Carolyn Walsh, Allen & Unwin
SYNOPSIS:
When 10-year-old Stephen goes with his parents to spend a few weeks with a great aunt he
has never met, the reunion is awkward: the boy is shy while Lola finds it difficult to have
company. But progressively, both find a way to communicate, and while she grows
accustomed to his innocence and frankness, he tries to not be affected by her rough manners.
As Aunty Lola’s eightieth birthday grows closer, Stephen comes to know her better and helps
her reconcile with a neighbour, while she encourages his friendship with the girl next door.
One day, Aunty Lola is found unconscious on the floor. She is taken to the hospital and,
when she comes back, she reveals a secret to Stephen which she has kept for many years,
while he realises how important she has become in his life.
As the title suggests, this is a story about the simple things in life (cooking, eating, fishing,
talking) and doing them with the people you love. It’s about sharing and family, and all the
characters are extremely well depicted, both funny and flawed, particularly Aunty Lola with
her sharp tongue and cluelessness about children. Watching Stephen and Aunty Lola’s
relationship evolve is moving and highly enjoyable.
AUTHOR STYLE:
As is fitting for a book with this title, Condon’s writing style is light, warm-hearted and
seemingly very simple. But look further and you will see that he creates this effect by
deliberately using short, well weighted sentences and a relaxed, conversational tone.
Together, the style is guaranteed to encourage and extend emerging readers. Chapter structure
is similarly short and rounded with one or two key events occurring. Writing in the first
person, and unusually in present tense, Condon creates a very immediate voice, and takes
advantage of the present tense conceit that the action is unfolding in real time, and that what
will happen next is as much a surprise to the narrator as the reader.
Beth Norling’s charming line illustrations are featured at the beginning of each chapter and
work to both reflect the events about to unfold and the novel’s overarching mood of
simplicity.
AUTHOR MOTIVATION:
Bill Condon says of the book: “Like most of my writing, much of this story is taken from my
own life. When I was I thirteen I went with my family to New Zealand. There I met my
grandmother for the first time. The Simple Things is a story about Stephen, a boy a little
younger than thirteen, who goes with his family on a trip to the country, where he meets his
Aunty Lola for the first time. His aunt is a spinster, who is set in her ways and rather
crotchety, but despite a rocky start Stephen at last wins her over and they become firm
friends. Much of the story concerns their relationship, especially how Lola entrusts Stephen
with a secret she has kept hidden for most of her life. Stephen is a young and immature boy
but the seeds of maturity are sewn in this book, particularly when he encounters death up
close for the first time. The death in question is only a fish, but for Stephen, as it was for me,
it is a powerful moment. As the title indicates, this is a book that concentrates on the simple
things of life, such as family and friendship, which I believe are the most important things.”
AUTHOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Bill Condon was born in 1949 and lives with his wife Dianne (Di) Bates in Cordeaux
Heights, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. He left school at the first chance
he got and worked in an assortment of jobs that did not require much in the way of
qualifications. A chance meeting with Larry Rivera, the editor of a local weekly newspaper,
led Bill into a career as a journalist. Throughout those years Bill was also writing for
children, following the example of his wife Di, who is a well known children's author. Nearly
twenty years ago Bill left journalism to devote himself full-time to writing for children. When
not writing, Bill plays tennis, golf, pool, and Scrabble, but hardly ever at the same time.
Bill was the winner of the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Award in 2010 for Young
Adult Fiction for his book Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God.
PRAISE FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS:
“....Beneath Condon’s simple writing style, and Beth Norling’s supporting line drawings, are
deeper themes about death, grief and acceptance. But while these themes hover around the
book’s edges, its main focus is on life, living and the simple things we take for granted—the
message, beautifully rendered for the age group, is that it’s never too late (or too soon) to
open the door to a friend...”
Meredith Lewin,
Bookseller & Publisher
EDUCATIONAL APPLICABILITY:
Themes include: family, relationships, growing up, older people, death, secrets, acceptance
Suggestions for discussion and classroom activities
Before reading The Simple Things, examine the front cover. What sort of story do you
think this is going to be? What is going to be the tone of the book? Are you expecting
happy or sad things to happen, characters to be nice or nasty, the story to be set in the
city or the country? What makes you think that? (Encourage students to consider how
the font, colour and composition of the front cover work together to form their ideas
about the book). After reading The Simple Things did the book meet your
expectations? If not, what was different?
Character study: write a brief description of the main characteristics of Stephen and
Aunty Lola. Find examples in the text to support the description given. Extension
question: describe Allie and Mr Smith, using examples of things they do in the story
to support your description.
Language activity 1: Read Chapter 9 and find as many nouns and adjectives, verbs
and adverbs as you can. Now see if you can find any metaphors or similes.
Language activity 2: The Simple Things is written in the first person (‘I’) rather than
third person (‘He’). In what way does the first person allow us to understand
Stephen’s perspective better and make the story more interesting? How might use of
the third person change how we respond to the story? Read the scene where Stephen
tries to save the fish he has caught on page 115. How does the reading experience
change when you change the text from first to third person?
Visual literacy: Look at the drawing of Aunty Lola at the beginning of Chapter 1.
What sort of person does this drawing portray? What particular aspects of the image
make you think this? Now turn to the drawing of Aunty Lola at the beginning of
Chapter 35. What sort of a person is shown here? What in this image makes you think
this?
Choose your favourite scene from the novel and explain why this one appeals to you
the most. In small groups act out this scene for the rest of the class. (Since the story is
told from Stephen’s point of view, pay close attention to the text for clues to what
other characters might be thinking and feeling.)
Watching the sun rise, Stephen’s father says, ‘...It’s the simple things like this that
stay with you, Steve. You reckon you’ll remember today?’ What do you think he
means by the term, ‘the simple things’? What do you think are some of the other
‘simple things’ that occur in the story and will stay with Stephen for the rest of his
life?
Organise your own bingo game in class with the following useful links:
http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/
www.ildado.com/bingo_nicknames.html
MARKETING AND SELLING POINTS:
Bill Condon is a highly respected author with a proven track record.
Review copies of The Simple Things will be mailed broadly to relevant media.
The book will be featured in mailings and newsletters to schools and is on the
Allen & Unwin website.
The book will be advertised in a key children’s literature journal.
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