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How To Be Prime Minister And Survive Grade 5
by Carla Fitzgerald
Published by University of Queensland Press (UQP)
ISBN 9780702265587
Harper and her sister Lottie suddenly find themselves living at the Prime Minister's residence, Kirribilli House in Sydney because their dad has accidentally become Prime Minister.The trouble is their dad isn't exactly up to being a Prime Minister.
One early morning she sees her dad packing a suitcase with his swimwear, his sun hat and other holiday clothes and she asks him where is he is going, He replies that he is going to a conference, but Harper doesn't believe him because he doesn't even have a suit packed.. She thinks he's sneaking off on a holiday!
Harper and her sister aren't particularly happy with their new life and wish they were back at their home and going to their usual public school, but now they have to go to a posh school nearby and nave security detail follow them as they walk to school. They also have to contend with photographers sneaking around every corner trying to take photos of them. And one of the security officers isn't that fit or fast enough, as demonstrated one day when a photographer was trying to take photos of the two girls entering the school gates.
Harper's dad, the Prime Minister has left his phone behind on his bedside table and it's constantly getting pinging with messages from his Chief of Staff. Harper isn't sure what to do. Should she cover for him? That's exactly what she wants to do to protect her dad. But, she's eleven now. How wrong can it go? Her mum isn't there, she is visiting Perth on an official visit, so there isn't anyone.
On one of her walks to school, the same one where the photographer tried to take photos as she was walking into school after tripping up on a broken pavement slab, Harper decides she has had enough and want to run away for some peace and quiet. She manages to give everyone the slip and finds a nice quiet spot to sit under a flowering Jacaranda tree, hers and her dad's favourite tree. She had taken her dad's phone with her and now his Chief of Staff keeps texting and she decides to answer his important questions as if it was her father replying.
This is a hilariously funny story, fraught with all sorts of decisions that Harper makes while trying to hide that her dad isn't there by saying he is ill. The things she gets up to are most amusing. The way in which the story is constructed could be quite believable, let's hope this never happens in real life!
Author Carla Fitzgerald clearly has a gift for entertaining writing. I hope she writes books for adults some day.
Her biography she says she is a a recovered lawyer and mum of three from Sydney. She studied Arts/Law at university before working for a judge, in private practice and at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Only after that did she rediscover the great fun of making stuff up and writing it down. Carla is a Books in Homes role model and a coach with the Harding Miller Education Foundation. Her favourite things to do are write, walk, read, eat, and hang out with her family. Not in that order.
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