Review by Frank Plowright

Act has an unusual start for a Kayla Miller all-ages adventure in that there’s a lot going on. Camp followed the more regular procedure of just day to day life for a while easing readers into the story. Here we have an immediate mention of a school trip to the city (permission slips required) and several pages explaining what democracy is with a class election to the student council pending.

The school trip is to the theatre, and a play about the American Revolution animates the minds of all children who see it. Unfortunately that didn’t include Beth. She’s shown absenting herself before the trip, so she’s isolated when even the teachers set assignments on the subject. Olive is one of the few people she confides in about the truth being her parents not having enough money. It’s an obvious injustice and it motivates Olive to try to do something about it.

Miller has either thought long and hard about a formula, or is intuitively working a form of storytelling she’s comfortable with. Neat, flat and brightly coloured art shows generally cheerful and well behaved children navigating life at the upper end of primary school. There’s no malice here, at least among Olive’s friends, just positive reinforcement and Miller packs the panels with activities and people.

Is this the fist book where Olive’s family name has been revealed as Branche? Although there are lighter moments, it seems rather trivial. The issues Olive confronts, though, involve the unfairness of the school system, so she decides to run for the school council also. The debate section toward the end is extremely well presented, working to an equally well planned ending.

Three books in, Miller is already showing an assured touch in introducing issues prompting young readers to think, but not in an intrusive way. Life goes on around Olive as she considers being a class representative, and her dreams continue as a regular feature. The first here more is in the form of a daydream imagining the future playing out for friends Hugh and Willow who’re beginning to notice each other as more than just friends.

Act is rounded off with an article about protests in the past, and because the idea of a bake sale features there’s a recipe for mint chocolate chip cookies. Miller’s books can be read in any order, but Clash follows.