Ricky Clemens is a giant. At least, that’s how his friends and the occupants of a small town called Aspiring see him. At only 15, Ricky is 6 foot 7 inches and still growing. His boss even places bets on his height every now and then. Ricky can’t help it, but he guesses people’s height when he meets them, always aware he is so much taller.

It’s only in basketball that he meets others his height – on an opposing team. They knock him around a bit on the court when he’s used to being the biggest in his squad. He might be big, but he’s still working on his confidence. He’s not a risk taker, only plays basketball because of his height, and hasn’t taken advantage of it against others – even those who bully his mates.

Ricky is a thinker. Not a dreamer – a thinker. His imagination is healthy and ever-present with random lines of story appearing in his head in many perfectly normal situations throughout his day. And then there’s Mr Le Clair.

He too bets on Ricky’s growth spurts. This man dresses differently, randomly visits Ricky’s workplace in his strangely short black Cadillac, and wears a pin on his lapel of significance to Ricky’s family. Where did he get it and why is he wearing it?

This contemporary NZ novel set in a small tourism driven NZ town, is a snapshot of a mid teen’s life.

He is still dealing with his parent’s and his own grief at losing his elder brother 10 years before, learning about the people around him, and also about himself.

There is mystery in a Mr Le Clair, first love with an outsider, the realisation his small town is growing and changing faster and faster to suit the tourism dollar, and that everyone has a story.

Author – Damien Wilkins

Age – 16+

Teacher’s Notes here

(Small town, Basketball, Loss, Memories, Memory, Family, Relationships, English project, School, NZ, Kiwi Author, New Zealand, Tourism, Sport, Tall, Height)