Read Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel Online
Authors: Michael Gerard Bauer
Well, if it was a perfect, happy-ending, movie kind of future, it would be like this: Miss Tarango and Mr Guthrie would stay together and eventually get married and raise the luckiest kids in the world; Mr Barker would become part of Razz and Mrs Zorzotto's little family and be the partner and father they both deserved; the Dugongs would release a brand new album and it would be a hit and win awards and my dad would keep performing and writing songs and never have to sell insurance again; the current Deputy Principal of St Daniel's would follow his heart and quit teaching for good to become manager of a legendary rock group; and Scobie, Bill, Ignatius, Razz and I would all end up at the same uni and stay friends for ever.
But sometimes life is like those kinds of movies. And sometimes it's not.
And my personal future? Well, if it was perfect, in just two days' time I would be at Sunshine Cove with Kelly Faulkner and we would be laughing and swimming together with a whole magic week stretching ahead of us. And I would go to university and become a writer, and I'd write all about my crazy, embarrassing, wonderful school days at St Daniel's and about the best friends anyone could ever have. And I would grapple those friends to my soul with words, because they are stronger and more powerful than steel or even carbon nanotubes.
And that story, if I ever wrote it, would end right here â with me sitting at the table of the Fab Five, grinning like an idiot, and waiting for Cyclone Razz to come rushing back and sweep us both into the future. And with these few words.
There's no easy way to put this, so I'll just say it straight out. It's time I faced up to the truth. My name is Ishmael Leseur. I am seventeen years old. I have Ishmael Leseur's Syndrome.
There is no cure.
And do you know what?
I am
totally
cool with that.
Oh, and just in case you're interested, this is how my phone call with Kelly Faulkner went the following night.
| Kelly: | Hello. |
| Me: | Kelly? Hi, it's me, Ishmael. |
| Kelly: | Hey, Ishmael. |
| Me: | How'd the exams go? |
| Kelly: | Good. I was really happy with them. Hopefully, it'll get me into Journalism. How'd you go? |
| Me: | Not too bad I think. |
| Kelly: | Great. |
| Me: | Ummm, look, I was wondering ⦠Now that exams are over and everything ⦠if maybe you wanted to do something tomorrow, like maybe go to pictures? |
| Kelly: | Sorry, can't. I'm busy tomorrow. I've got something on. |
| Me: | Oh, right, no worries ⦠No, that's fine. I just thought ⦠but you know, if you're busy ⦠|
| Kelly: | Yeah, sorry I am. I'm going shopping. |
| Me: | Shopping? Right. Great. That's great ⦠|
| Kelly: | With Sally. |
| Me: | Oh ⦠cool ⦠that'll be fun ⦠You should totally do that ⦠You know, what I was saying before about doing something ⦠I only meant if you didn't have anything ⦠you know ⦠important planned ⦠|
| Kelly: | Well, what could be more important than us buying new swimming suits? |
| Me: | Silence |
| Kelly: | For the beach. |
| Me: | Silence |
| Kelly: | You know, so we can look our best in case we meet up with a couple of hot guys when we're down at Sunshine Cove. |
| Me: | You're coming? |
| Kelly: | Uh-huh. |
| Me: | For the whole week? |
| Kelly: | Afraid so. |
| Me: | Well, that's ⦠that's great. That's really good. That's ⦠brilliant! |
| Kelly: | It was supposed to be a secret but you forced it out of me. Can't believe you didn't know already. Don't tell me Razz actually kept his mouth shut for once. I think that might qualify as a miracle. |
| Me: | I agree, but it's just so great you're coming. |
| Kelly: | Well, I thought I should, otherwise who'd keep an eye on the weather if I'm not there? I mean, someone has to make sure that Sunshine Cove lives up to its name, right? |
| Me: | That's right! |
| Kelly: | Only I'd better warn you, Ishmael, I'm a bit out of practice with the whole weather goddess thing. A few clouds might slip through every now and then ⦠possibly even some occasional showers. |
| Me: | I don't mind. Hey, maybe I can help you? |
| Kelly: | What, you think together we could make the sun shine for the whole week? |
| Me: | Sure. Who knows, we might even start a heat wave. |
| Kelly: | Reeeeeeeally? Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that one, won't we ⦠|
And the way Kelly Faulkner said it, I just knew she was smiling and those beautiful ice-blue eyes were sparkling like the sea.
My unending thanks and gratitude go to the following:
My publisher at Omnibus Books, Dyan Blacklock, for blessing me with the opportunity to tell Ishmael's story, and to my editor, Celia Jellett, for making that telling better than it otherwise would have been without her. Love you guys.
Everyone at Scholastic Australia, with a special thanks to Claire Pretyman and the ladies in the Rights and Permissions Department for sending Ishmael overseas and helping make it possible for me to be a full-time writer.
Steve Wells, for his great work in designing and creating the sparkly new Ishmael covers.
All my family, especially my wife Adriana, for being âthe very best of everything' in my life and for drawing on her maths and biology teacher background so that I could put suitably nerdy words into Ignatius Prindabel's mouth; my son Joe, for his thoughtful and helpful manuscript reading, and for his encouragement and support; and my daughter Meg, whose own wonderful writing inspires me to try harder.
My ever-supportive friends and colleagues, with a particular mention this time round to Natalie, for her assistance with all things hooping; to Ruth, for her enthusiasm for the series and for letting me borrow her surname for one of St Daniel's houses; and to Margaret, for keeping me entertained and informed on Facebook when I should be writing and for helping out with band names.
Finally, and most sincerely, thank you to every reader who has followed Ishmael from first word to last. I hope you have enjoyed the journey and had some laughs and maybe even shed a happy tear or two along the way. I know I have. It has been a joy and honour (and totally rigid!) to have had your company.
â MGB
The Running Man
For younger readers:
Just a Dog
You Turkeys!
Illustrated by Nahum Ziersch
Dinosaur Knights
The Ishmael books:
Don't Call Me Ishmael!
Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs
Michael blogs at http://michaelgerardbauer.wordpress.com.
You can also visit Michael's page,
Michael Gerard Bauer Author, on Facebook.
Teachers' notes for Michael Gerard Bauer's books
are available from www.scholastic.com.au
Published by Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd
PO Box 579, Gosford NSW 2250.
ABN 11 000 614 577
www.scholastic.com.au
Part of the Scholastic Group
Sydney ⢠Auckland ⢠New York ⢠Toronto ⢠London ⢠Mexico City â¢
New Delhi ⢠Hong Kong ⢠Buenos Aires ⢠Puerto Rico
SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
Text copyright © Michael Gerard Bauer, 2011.
Cover and text illustrations copyright © Steve Wells, 2011.
Print edition first published in 2011 by Omnibus, an imprint of Scholastic Australia.
This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited in 2012.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, unless specifically permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 as amended.
EPUB/MOBI eISBNÂ 978 1 921 98871Â 4