April Fools Day Books

I gotta say one thing; WELL DONE BRYCE!!!! first, i didn't cry; i'm not real sentimental, but i was very touched and i think that damon was a man of steel; going through 24 years of pain and suffering. i wanted to cry when damon's friends came over. well done, courtenays.

This book affected me so deeply and has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. Having lost a loved one to AIDS I could relate to Bryce Courtenay's pain and I could feel the anger and passion he felt writing this book. Through Bryce's amazing talent for telling a story I felt I really knew Damon and his family. When I got to the last page I let out a deep sigh and cried for Damon, for my own loved one and for everyone affected by AIDS. I thank Bryce for having the courage to write this important book and for sharing Damon's life with us all.

I've read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and every one is a gem. I'm only disappointed that his books are not published in The United States and not readily available in our local bookstores.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and I know you'll be hooked on Bryce forever afterward.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY was the hardest book Bryce Courtenay ever wrote, and it's also one of the hardest books I ever read. I started it (the first time) on a Friday evening and did nothing but read (and occasionally try to sleep) until I had finished it -- I couldn't imagine stepping out of the middle of the story into my own life. I've read this book, given it away, bought it again, several times: it's not a book you can forget.

Courtenay's son Damon was born in Australia with severe haemophilia. Along with the moving story of an afflicted but strong-spirited boy, Courtenay paints a bitter and angry picture of the Australian medical community at that time, steeped in paternalism and political expediency.

Several times a week Damon would bleed into his joints, and his father would take him to the hospital for infusion of Factor VIII to induce clotting. In other countries families were allowed to stock Factor VIII and infuse at home, minimizing both disruption to the family and permanent damage to joints. This was not permitted in Australia, to the extreme detriment of haemophiliacs and their families.

Worse than this, the screening and fractionation of donated blood in Australia did not at that time meet safety standards known and required in other countries. Damon contracted AIDS from the contaminated Australian blood supply and died of that disease on April Fool's Day in 1991.

The book is saturated with the author's bitterness, and the reader can't fail to walk his angry path with him. You WANT it to have been different, you WANT to find a justification or at least an exculpation for the medical mismanagement of Damon and the entire cohort of haemophiliacs in that time and place.

You'll find a celebration of Damon's spirit and his family's faithful support. You'll find love that fights tooth and nail for Damon. But you won't find forgiveness or exoneration, and if you're like me you'll think you should, and keep reading the book again looking for it -- in yourself if not in the author.

Courtenay's work (THE POWER OF ONE, TANDIA, WHITETHORN, etc) appears not to be well known in the United States, although he's highly regarded in his birth county (South Africa) and adopted country (Australia). APRIL FOOL'S DAY should be more widely known. It's a challenging read with a personal message the reader has to translate and tease apart. Read it for that challenge.

I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay, and have read all his books. This one tells the true story of his last son, Damon, who was born with haemophilia and went through a very hard life, still one full of love and joy. I found myself crying for what happened to Damon, from the purple head episode in hospital to the AIDS he caught during a blood transfusion. And I do completely agree with what Damon said, whatever your problem is, HEALTH is a gift, the most precious one we possess, together with LOVE. The book is about love against the odds, the prejudice, the injustice of a health and political system in Australia in the 1980s; it is full of details and vivid images, and I can imagine how hard it was for the author to write about his own experience, and the suffering in trying to explain in a clear way what exactly happened to him and his family those days. Everyone who has been through a quite serious illness will love this book, as I did. Thanks, Bryce.

I bought this book when we lived in Australia from 1993/1994. I have since read the book over and over again and have lent it to family and friends under the strict mandate that they must return it to me upon completion. This is the most moving book I have ever read and it will be one that I will keep forever. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and I was inspired by Damon's courage and determination to not only live a normal life but to overcome the stigma associated with HIV/AIDs. Bryce Courtney has written a beautiful testimonally to his son's life. I hope every parent loves their child as much as the Courtney's did to not only let him live his life but to also allow him to die with dignity. His girlfriend, Celeste, was also amazing. How many of us could stand by our significant others knowing what she did about the ultimate outcome.

This book is a must read on everyone's list, I am only sorry that it is out of print.

This book is short, which is great when you are running late for bedtime. More importantly, it's a lot of fun. The basic story is of the grandkids trying to scare Grandpa that all the animals have gone crazy on the farm. Grandpa, knowing that it's Aprill Fool's Day, makes the appropriate concerned noises, but his actions clearly show he is not fooled. That is, he is not fooled until a very smart Grandma tells him April Fool's Day is tomorrow. He runs out in a panic and she gets to enjoy the breakfast he made for himself before letting loose with a cheery, "April Fools." Needless to say, Grandpa looks very sheepish at the end while Grandma and the grandkids look quite pleased with themselves.

The text is simple and rhymes, which makes it enjoyable to read aloud. The illustrations are hysterical (sheep sunning themselves on beach chairs while listening to an iPod or goats wearing clothes from the laudry line are just a couple of examples) and I laugh right along with my 3 and 6 year old boys when I see them. I have read the book several times and it doesn't get tiresome. Definitely money well spent.

This is a fun and enjoyable book for young children. I teach k-3 art and was able to not only refer to the April 1 theme but to the marvelous art work as well. The pictures are very funny and the children were engaged the entire time I shared it with them.

The grandkids are visiting Grandma and Grandpa on their farm. Grandpa is fixing breakfast for everyone when suddenly his grandson bursts into the kitchen shouting "The cows have got loose! I think Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!" But Grandpa doesn't respond to the news -- he just calmly pours himself a glass of milk. Grandpa is so relaxed because its April Fools' Day and the children are playing tricks! Then Grandma steps in with a trick of her own!! In creating her lyrical text for April Foolishness, author Teresa Bateman draws upon her own experiences growing up on a farm and creates a story to which Nadine Westcott's lively illustrations are a perfect complement.

Kids love to visit their grandparents, and grandparents love to have them (most of the time). A visit may hold many surprises when it begins on April Fool's Day, which is what happened when two rambunctious youngsters arrived at the farm.

Told in lilting rhyme and illustrated in bold full-page color "April Foolishness" is a merry look at that special day. Grandma begins the day as grandpa is cooking breakfast in the kitchen. She thinks, "Life on the farm keeps a gal on her toes. That's what grandma thought as she flung on her clothes."

Well grandpa needs to be on his toes, too because the first thing he hears from his young visitors is that the cows have gotten loose and one stepped on a goose. Next is the announcement that the chickens are out, and the pigs broke the gate.

Children will smile their way through this rollicking story until they learn who pulls off the best April Fool joke of all.

- Gail Cooke

The publisher of this book states it is suitable for ages 11 and up. Since I typically do not review children's books I did not intend to read it and placed it on a stack to pass on to someone that would. However, as luck would have it, I met the author at a booksellers trade show in Denver and promised her I would at least take another look at it. I am glad I did.
This is one of the most readable, informative books not only on a deadly Tsunami that struck the coast of Hilo and Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, on April Fools' Day in 1946, but about Tsunami's in general and the creation of a global warning system in the Pacific Rim. The tragic story of the April Fools'Day tsunami which claimed the lives of 26 residents in the Laupahoehoe area, including 16 school children, is told in a narrative style that brings the event into sharp focus and provides a foundation for the remainder of the book.
In addition to the Laupahoehoe and Hilo story the book provides a non-technical, understandable explanation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, installed after the April Fools' Day tragedy, as well as what causes tsunami's, their history, the scientific efforts to understand and predict them, and a discussion of the day after Christmas 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that claimed hunderds of thousands of lives. Also, there are a number of helpful sidebars that provide answers to multiple questions about the causes of tsunami's as well as an excellent bibliography and "further information" section that would be a credit to a more scholarly work.
To be sure this book is suitable for ages 11 and up but I submit it will be of use and interest to readers of practically any age remotely interested in the history of Tsunami's and the state of the science dealing with their causes and detection. The author is a former school teacher and was named Author of the Year in Georgia. This book is a testament to her award winning, writing abilities.

Mention the word, "tsunami," and even the brave people of the world will run for higher ground. But nobody was shouting a warning in 1946 on a sunny April Fool's Day in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii when twenty-six people, including sixteen school children, were killed by a tsunami.

Karwoski got the idea for this book while visiting Hawaii the summer before the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. After doing a great deal of reseach, she found that the tsunami that hit Laupahoehoe caused scientists to study tsunamis and develop a warning system.

Illustrated by John MacDonald, this book is well-organized with five chapters, a "further information" section, and a bibliography. Chapter one is a dramatic account of the tragic tsunami that hit Laupahoehoe, Hawaii in 1946. The second chapter covers that same tsunami as it moves on to Hilo. Chapter three details the deadly history of tsunamis. Tsunami science is the subject of chapter four, and chapter five tells about the warning system developed by scientists.

Well-written, meticulously-researched, and fast-paced, dramatic details including eye-witness reports, make this book an excellent choice for middle schoolers or anyone older than nine who would like to learn about tsunamis.

Overall, this is a powerful story of a natural disaster that offers valuable information.

This is a compilation of the best April Fools jokes created by the IETF, the group that creates the standards for how the Internet works. The best humor for the geek in your life, or a great conversation starter at a lan party. Also has commentary from Limoncelli and some other internet gods. Worth many geek points - full of lulz!!

While I enjoy Maguire's novels for adults, I unknowingly caused my 9-year-old daughter to become an addict when I bought "Four Stupid Cupids" off of a Valentine's clearance shelf without taking note of the author. As a result, my daughter
has rapaciously consumed everything age appropriate that Maguire has produced. I am very fortunate to have avoided a battle of wills provoked by covetous glances at my copy of "Wicked" with the release of "A Couple of April Fools". My daughter can't put it down!

Its about a bear that was looking for April Fools.He was searching everywhere but he still didn't find him. So Pooh bear went home and he was suprised! It was because all his friends tried to fool April Fools but they fooled themselves because they were to rescue Pooh from the fools they did, but they fooled themselves!

I read this book to a group of children and we were rolling in the aisles. This is an execellent book.

This counting book features artwork by Norman Rockwell. Some of the pages are fold outs. You count objects in each painting such as 5 books, or 10 toes. Not sturdy enough for a young child to read on their own, but great for mother and child to share. Great introduction to an American artist.

I read this book because I attended a writing workshop Josip Novakovich gave in Denver. The day was inspiring. Novakovich works and thinks at a high level and that comes through in "April Fool's Day." I happened to attend the workshop before I knew Novakovich was from Croatia. Coincidentally, I was heading to Croatia for a family vacation (first trip there) just a few weeks after the workshop. Since this book is set in the area, I waited until I was en route to begin reading it. In any setting, this book is a classic. Every page comes alive. There is terrific imagery and writing throughout. Ivan Dolinar is a bit of ping-pong ball of a character. He is bounced around by other's and doesn't take charge of himself until the end. But he is an endearing, thoughtful and entirely human character who grows and learns at every turn. Sample of prose: "The clouds grumbled, cleared their throats, but did not spit out a drop of rain. They gathered low, furrowed, like Stalin's eyebrows, trapping heat and moisture, making the air musty. In the morning Ivan sweated profusely, salt from his forehead sliding into his eyes and biting them as though they were open wounds, and that they were, with dust specks, gnats, sand, grating them almost as much as did the sight of his colleagues collapsing, with Chetniks crushing their heads with the wood of rifles, brains flowing out like borscht." The ending is a brilliant riff on life, death, God and ghosts, among the best 10 or 15 pages I've ever read. I'll keep this book handy as inspiration for a long, long time. By the way, my wife read it on the Croatia trip and loved it, too.

Novakovich has done a nice job with his first novel. It follows the life of Ivan Dolinar born on April Fool's Day, 1948. Through following the protagonist's life in the former Yugoslavia and later Croatia, readers will learn about communism, the war that divided the country and life in that part of the world. It is an entertaining and funny odyssey. Novakovich's writing reminded me of Vonnegut's. I highly recommend this one especially if you have any interest in that region.

I wanted to read this book because it is written by the eastern european writer about eastern Europe - former Yugoslavia in particular. Although many readers unfamiliar with the reality of life there would find this book to be a satire about the fallen regime, bizarre consequences following main character in the form of the sixth degree of separation and irony of philosopher seeking meaning of life as life seems to be slipping out of his own hands -- I have personally found it to be real. Perhaps because I used to live in the world of such absurdities until it became unbearable and I have decided to leave it behind and move as far away from it as possible. This is an interesting and compelling story. I do not believe it will reach realms of immortality for its creator, though. However, it is a book worth reading. Many eastern europeans will be able to relate to it.

Josip Novakovich's recent novel is a witty, heart-warming tale of a fictional flawed hero-a kind of modern Croatian version of picaresque novels like Candide. Is it too much to compare Novakovich to Voltaire? Not really. April Fool's Day is as engaging, artful, and ultimately satisfying as Candide. Strongly recommended to anyone who loves a well-written novel.

April Fool's Day is a unique and poignant tale about a man encountering mind-altering obstacles in his pursuit of high-minded ideals. Told with the bold and evocative imagery of Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" and the character arch of Coelho's "The Alchemist," it's as deserving to be deemed a classic. Novakovich starts with this idealistic man's birth; his name is Ivan Dolinar, and his journey moves with the speed of an artfully shot skipping stone, touching down on his experiences in love and politics and not stopping until, with some luck, he crawls out of his own coffin.

Throughout each phase in life, Novakovich juxtaposes Ivan's wants with what he gets, and he does it with a sense of humor that is seeped in truth. Ivan is a man's man with a hero's will to survive and live honorably - most of the time. He has his share of fears and 'cronic' shame. In his later years an esophoric case of hypochondria leaves him paralyzed, or just really lazy. You love Ivan the way you might love your husband or old man on the crapper staring dumbly off into space. You put the book down, dry your eyes from laughing, and see the sadness in it all and realize you're deeply moved. April Fool's Day is a profoundly touching read.

Brother Fish

I am becoming quite a big Bryce Courtenay fan. I read "The Power of One" several years ago and as many of his other books as I can get my hands on since then. I have just completed "Brother Fish" and am again amazed by Courtenay's ability to create such real characters, fascinating plots, and to take me to so many interesting places. His characters are people that I would like to meet and at the same time I feel that I know. While I am not generally a war story reader I was drawn into the narrative by Courtenay's story telling ability. I could hardly put the book down.

This is a hard book to review. Parts of it enthralled me, but at the same time, one cannot be unaware of its huge deficiencies. It's a doorstop of a book, and rightfully so. There are at least three separate stories in there, maybe four. Or five. Anyway, first of all, we have Jacko's tale. An unprepossessing lad from a dot of an island off the Tasmanian coast, his family is made up of average joes, and Jacko's mom terms them "not worth a pinch of the proverbial," and she is not referring to salt. Jacko enlists in the army during the Korean conflict and is taken prisoner. He survives horrendous conditions, returns home, and becomes a successful seafood entrepreneur. Okay, that's book one. Book two is about James Pentecost Oldcorn, a Black American GI who is meets up with Jacko when both are prisoners of war. Jimmie Oldcorn is not human. He is larger than life, heroic and selfless beyond sainthood, and probably the most patronizingly written Black character in a novel since Uncle Remus. He repeatedly saves Jacko's life, organizes the POWs, saves their lives, confronts their Chinese and Korean captors, improves POW morale, and becomes Jacko's lifelong best friend and business partner. The Jimmy Oldcorn part of the book is so overwrought and the character such a cheap cartoon, it was almost painful to read. Jimmie's dialect is utterly ridiculous. He is an intelligent, resourceful, brave man, but he jabbers away in nonsense syllables. I have a feeling that Bryce Courtenay had no idea how a Black New Yorker would sound, and his thought process was as follows: "I'll throw in some basic New York accent(where Jimmie was born and raised), leaven with some Uncle Tom's Cabin and Song of the South to reinforce that he's Black." Unfortunately, the dialect is neither New York, Southern, or anything else any real person every spoke. And the way Courtenay depicts Jimmie made me want to toss the book out the door. Jimmie is a whiz with the ladies. Women of the island (who never met a man of color before and apparently were immune to Australia's prevalent racism and "White Australia" policy and equally immune to Australia's appalling attitudes toward their own Aboriginals) lined up to have sex with him and bear his children out of wedlock. Why, heck, Ol' Jimmie was such a nice guy, men were eager to marry up with women who bore his children...it was a badge of honor. Yeah, right. The same people who designated their own indiginous people as "fauna" -- native animal life, were going to open their arms and, well, whatever, to a Black American. Uh huh. I said it was a patronising depiction earlier...I was wrong. It is beyond patronising. The "racism" crops up when Jimmie confronts the "White Australia" immigration policy, but that's solved and Jimmie gets to go back to talking gibberish and behaving heroically. And then there is Book 3, the story of Countess Nicole Lenoir Jourdan, aka Lily No Gin, aka Shanghai Lil. No, I'm not making that up. WOuld that I were. Again, a fascinating story becomes so overblown, it loses all touch with reality. All three stories are intricately connected. Jimmie Oldcorn is, indeed, a hero, if only he had been written as a real person, not a cartoon black, complete with a dialect that is so thick it's comical (although Jimmie speaks the King's English impeccably -- with American, English and Australian accents and intonations when he so chooses). The Countess is merely Deus ex Machina, dropping in to save the day until the last 3rd of the book, when we learn of her improbably--yet fascinating--life story. Anyway, if you want a good read, this is certainly the book. Just try not using all your brain cells when you read it...if you have all your faculties in full gear, the book will drive you nuts. I have not read "Power of One" or any other of Courtenays seemingly endless stream of books. I just ordered "The Potato Factory" trilogy and hope it's as good as the best parts of "Brother Fish" but without the hyperbole and nonsense.

I loved this book. My favorite book of all time is "The Power Of One", and Brother Fish comes a very very close second! Byrce Courtenay has incredible flashes of brilliance in his writing. Can't wait for the next book!

Courtenay tells a terrific story here about the Korean War, POW
camps and life as a veteran in Australia. I really did not want to
put it down and found myself anxious to get back to it to find
out "what happens next".

i'm not one to like reading war stories but this is special. so easy to read and would appeal to anyone. very gripping plot. gives powerful look into the korean war and pow camps. among other sub-plots, it exposes racism in the USA and Australia during the 1940s and 50s. set in new york, usa and tasmania, australia. the 2 major characters, an american negro orphan and a poor white australian, are very likeable, even their faults. a big part is also set in shanghai, china during the 1920s and 30s. i found it as good as the "power of one" also from bryce courtenay. he's a marvelous writer.