The ACB With Honora Lee

Kate De Goldi

Random House

Otago Daily Times, December 8th 2012

As busy adults it is often easy for us to organise our children’s lives to suit our own ends, and in the process stifle their opportunity to discover things about and for themselves. The ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi (Random House) is a gentle reminder of what they can achieve when left to their own devices.

Perry is what could be described as a ‘problem child’, curious, precocious, inattentive, and easily bored (the kinds of behaviours that can see bright kids labelled ADHD). Her parents, both overworked professionals, decide the solution is to ensure her out-of-school time is filled with other people and educational activities: music and movement lessons, clarinet, piano, homework group. 

Perry doesn’t find any of these particularly interesting, and when her movement group is cancelled she decides that it is her turn to choose what to do. This turns out to be weekly visits to her Grandmother, Honora Lee, at the nearby Santa Lucia rest home.  Although Honora is unable to remember her from visit to visit (when her granddaughter asks “Gran? Who am I?” she receives the tart reply “If you don’t know I can’t help you.”), she retains a sharp intellect and still acts like the teacher she once was, so Perry decides to involve her in an educational project; an ABC based on the home and its residents. 

Over the next few months the book grows in a haphazard fashion depending on which letter Honora decides to respond to on the day, with additional contributions from everybody who lives and works at Santa Lucia. In the process Perry finds new friends, learns about both life and death, and finally manages to apply herself to something for an extended period of time.

Although this is probably aimed at a younger audience, it is also a great read for adults. De Goldi has a real talent for capturing the perspective and behaviour children, and part of my enjoyment came from the sheer familiarity of some of the situations: “‘Perry?’ ‘Yes,’ said Perry. ‘If you want to say something you come and talk quietly and face-to-face in a civilised way.’ ‘Gurg,’ Perry said. ‘Perry?’ ‘Rawk.’ ‘Perry!’ ‘Yes,’ said Perry, meekly.”

The accompanying illustrations by Gregory O’Brien, some (or all) of which represent the ones drawn by Perry herself, compliment the text beautifully.  A small and perfectly formed hardback, this book is a little treasure.

https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/leave-them-alone-and-they-might-surprise-you