The story covers various different aspects typical to Primary School life, from visits to the sick bay to get out of class, hiding in the library to avoid social situations, messing around in art class, dealing with difficult classmates (surely every class has a ‘Barry Hollis’ who is always causing trouble!) and culminates in the highlight of any Primary School year, school camp.Įrika goes on a wonderful journey, and ends the book appreciating her family rather than deriding them, finding her place as a director rather than as the lead actress, and of course making up with Alison Ashley and learning to understand that her outwardly perfect life might not be so perfect afterall. When the outwardly perfect Alison Ashley arrives at Barringa East Primary Erika is initially determined to impress Alison, but quickly draws the assumption that Alison is too ‘high and mighty’ for the disadvantaged school with its rough and tumble collection of students and stressed out teachers. The protagonist Erika, nicknamed Yuk, is a great example of an unreliable narrator and there is a lot of enjoyment to be had in reading between the lines on many of the situations that arise throughout the story. Readers of this age group will enjoy the humour, and the familiar situations, such as school camp. Best suited for ages 9-11, Hating Alison Ashley features a rather obnoxious grade 6 student.

I would rate this book five stars out of five.A funny little novel about life in an Australian Primary School. This brilliantly-written book is entertaining from the first sentence to the last and is perfect to curl up with and read from beginning to end. So she decides she has to get back at Alison for showing her up all the time, and school camp seems the perfect place for doing just that.Ī hilarious, Australian story that will capture the attention of readers aged nine to sixteen. With a bossy older sister, a hermit brother, and a little sister that acts like a horse and takes up most of the shared bedroom, Erica doesn’t need any more trouble.

She feels superior to the rest of her school and dreams to herself all the time about being on stage with the lights, the glittering dress, the fancy shoes Erica knows it’s hers for the taking.Īlison Ashley is beautiful, smart, rich, well-mannered, and in every single way, perfect. It starts with Erica Yurken, a sixth grader who knows she is predestined to be an actress. ‘Hating Alison Ashley’ is a fantastic book by Robin Klein.

Hating alison ashley book cover