A spotlight on Take the Shot by Susan White
Take the Shot is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Bug is keeping a lot of secrets. After he is diagnosed with a health condition called Marfan syndrome, he is advised to stay away from fast-paced sports and take it easy. So, what does he do? Start a mixed basketball team with some of his classmates at his new school and not tell any of his family about it. This isn’t a life-threatening disaster waiting to happen, not at all…
Here’s what the judges said…
‘Bug is such a great character with witty comebacks to his bullies and a charm that brings him friends without him even realising. A thoroughly engaging novel about friendship, sport and dealing with challenges in life, this is a story that even reluctant readers will absolutely adore. Suitable for ages 11+.’
– Angela Crocombe, Chair of the judging panel
Meet the author…
Susan is a doctor and a writer. As a clinical geneticist, Susan hunts for answers to undiagnosed genetic conditions in children – a kind of DNA-sleuth for kids, minus the trench coat. Her novel, Cut, was shortlisted for the Kill Your Darlings’ Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2017 and her writing has been published in The Big Issue, Melbourne’s Child magazine and The Reader anthology from the Emerging Writers’ Festival. When she is not drumming up new ideas for stories, or feeding her unhealthy obsessions with coffee and young adult fiction, Susan hangs out with her husband, their two kids and their gorgeous neurotic dog Snowy.
