by Carina Diedericks-Hugo (Lapa Publishers)
Always on the lookout for easy readers that might interest my teen sons, I was thrilled to discover these books about Thomas and his multi-cultural band of friends.
The plot is interesting enough, but not completely beyond the grasp of boys who, on a good day, would rather be setting fire to their own gel-coiffed hair than reading complex literature – especially in Afrikaans.
Thomas is moving to a new house and is awaiting the arrival of a new baby in the family. He is not convinced that he wants to move and so there is a certain amount of internal conflict that most teens can recognise in themselves.
He has a stepmother and is not entirely accepting of his feelings seeing his dad and stepmother – pleasant, expert cook though she may be – spending time cosying up to one another. Hey, even teenaged boys who don’t hail from broken homes can relate to this discomfort.
Thomas, and his friends, Hannes, Alex and Thabo find themselves curious about a ghost story which surrounds Thomas’s new home and which ultimately threatens to overwhelm him. Exciting stuff!
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by Carina Diedericks-Hugo (Lapa Publishers)
Another story in the series about Thomas and his mates, who this time, tackle the mystery of a computer game, which, they soon realise, contains a destructive virus.
One of their teachers also seems to be involved in some dodgy dealings.
The band of friends collaborate to work out what is going on and assist in the thwarting of a major crime.
Diedericks-Hugo has researched her subject well and seems to have a decent grasp of where the modern teen is at, she not only brings up bullying, a very relevant issue at South African schools, but we also see a worthwhile life lesson woven neatly into the plot.