There’s a lot swirling around in the universe, depending on which one you’re orbiting through. For a diminutive soul like Leif, the cosmos can assume overwhelming proportions which despite his heroic Viking namesake, aren’t always easy to overcome by yourself. My Tiny Universe by Maryam Master, is a close up exposé of a universal problem; the art of being big when you feel so stupendously small.
It takes us a while to realise the full extent of Leif’s physical health limitations because he is the kind of kid to deflect concern and pity with intellect and absurdly rationalised thought. This is relayed through his impressive vocabulary and method of delivery which unfortunately also excludes him from more mainstream schoolyard conversation and interactions. Readers have scant time to dwell on this however because as Leif introduces himself, we immediately glean a potentially new and different side of his personality. One with arsonist qualities. One who is no longer the accomplished quirky science geek in school. One who has brought shame and anguish to his family.
Leif is quick to point out however, it wasn’t him that burnt down the science block. It was Albie, his erstwhile bestie. Albie is Leif’s godsend because until he rocked up Leif didn’t have a friend in the world let alone school, despite several attempts to acquire one. Older readers will delight in the parallels between Leif’s social expansion techniques and those of a similar gifted prodigy, Young Sheldon. It’s Leif’s sister, Holly who offers possible explanations for Leif’s inexplicable behaviour and lack of friends, all stemming from the forced move the family made four years ago.
Master is quite simply, the master of middle grade heart pulling fiction. Her mix of comedy, first person connection and deeply moving moments provides purity and pull. We don’t quite know what’s going on with Albie or if he can be trusted but we understand the need to cling to an ally even in the face of filial disloyalty. Even if their authenticity is questionable. Leif is a beautiful, brilliant and very bruised soul who, like many of us experiencing unwanted change, is grieving in ways no amount of higher thinking can resolve.
With hints towards tomorrow’s future and nods toward neurodivergent situations, Master weaves a tale of loss, compliancy, yearning and self-awareness into a modern spill of what it looks like to adopt a sense of self and responsibility. Hard calls for tweens metamorphosising into teens yet still easily relatable for readers from nine onwards.
My Tiny Universe is the type of novel I’d love to see on upper primary reading lists because of its readability and far-reaching character relatability. Plus, it made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, which, as Leif discovers, is the best way of being moved.
Don’t wait for the classroom study, though. Expand your universe and get a read on this winning middle grade adventure, now!
Dimity Powell is an Australian author and reviewer whose books include Oswald Messweather, and At the End of Holyrood Lane. Her latest book is The Boy Who Lost His Laugh.
