Simon French,
Where in the World
Little Hare, 2002.

Ages 8-11

Where in the World is a very special novel that traces one boy’s voyage towards being happy with who he is. Ari, the book’s narrator, is a 10-year-old boy who lives in Australia with his mother and step-father at the restaurant/ live music venue they run together.  He has a special gift for playing the violin: a gift which fulfils him but also brings with it certain complexities.

Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about Ari’s early childhood in Germany: how he and his mother moved in with Opi, his grandfather after his father died; how Opi, himself a retired professional violinist, had nurtured Ari’s talent; and how he had travelled with his mother – first around Italy at the age of six, and then in Australia, which was later to become his new home.  These details from the past are all filled in through Ari’s memories, interspersed with returns to the present, the thread of which runs through the book from beginning to end.  The significance of certain events is not always exposed until much later, which helps to build up the narrative tension, but the divisions between past and present are clear so that no confusion arises; and the keystone throughout is music.

Ari is a normal boy who cringes when his mother plays the proud parent role and who tries to keep his violin-playing quiet at school.  At the same time, he finds he can express himself through his music and begins to pour his emotions into his own compositions.  He misses his father and being far away from Opi is particularly hard for him to deal with.

Gradually, Ari realises that music is his key to coming to terms with the emotional turmoil of his past – and the story ends with Ari taking that key to open the door to his future, in a way that renders even his normally eloquent mother speechless.

Author Simon French explores childhood from the perspective of an older child with great perception. Any young person who has experience of playing a musical instrument, whether gifted or not, will enjoy reading Ari’s story, as will anyone who has been through similar upheaval, such as adjusting to new family dynamics or moving from one country to another. Since it’s publication in 2002, Where in the World has deservedly been recognised by prestigious awarding bodies, both in Australia (The Children’s Book Council of the Year: Young Readers Award shortlist 2003) and internationally (2003 Guardian Children’s Fiction prize longlist and the 2004 IBBY Honour List). An uplifting read filled with likeable characters, this book belongs on school, library and personal bookshelves everywhere. 

Marjorie Coughlan
August 2009