reviews 8 – 10 Junior/Middle continued


how she wants it to, because her Mum has remarried and moved on. Written in characteristic Jacqueline Wilson style, this is one for


existing fans as well as one to captivate new readers. Characters are


Settings


and the plot convinces you that it is entirely possible that one single child can get herself into so many scrapes. As Matilda romps from one self-made


dilemma to the next, you will laugh, sigh, sympathise and cry. The ending is realistic, rather than happy. Tilly is forced to accept that her parents will never get back together and Wilson pulls no punches about Tilly’s feelings of rejection and abandonment. But as she comes to terms with her sadness, she finds that there can also be happiness in life as she realises how much friendships matter. As ever,


honestly with real issues that happen to real people in ways that children can relate to. She doesn’t hide the pain or distress, but she does show that while we cannot control what other people do, we can choose how to react to it. This is a great read for any girl who loves Jacqueline Wilson in particular and a really good story in general. GR


Bigger and Better HHHH


Kaye Umansky, ill. Ben Whitehouse, Barrington Stoke, 67pp, 978-1-7811-2558-8, £5.99 pbk


In Bigger and Better Kaye Umansky gives us a characteristically humorous take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story, told from the point of view of Vi the giantess, whose husband, Bigsy, is the lumbering, thoughtless giant at the top of the beanstalk.


Vi, who loves little things, thimbles, butterflies, kittens, seashells, is surrounded by huge, insensitive and selfish family members. So, when Jack turns up from Tiddly Land Vi is enchanted, despite his strange, rap-style way of speaking and his shocking habit of stealing things. This funny re-telling of a traditional


Poor Jacqueline Wilson deals


clearly and are


realistically honestly her


drawn. created


information, this is a very accessible book with a clear and attractive layout, written in a lively style. Beautifully illustrated, the close up photography is truly stunning and illustrator Sarah Horne’s art work is very appealing. There is a helpful introduction to


annotations and comments. Fact files with key features help young wildlife spotters distinguish a rabbit from a hare or between the different members of the thrush family. Interesting historical detail is included, for example how a jackdaw gets its name or when rabbits were first brought to Britain. You can find out how a thrush cracks a snail shell open or what the nation’s favourite animal is (a hedgehog in case you are wondering!). There are life cycles of butterflies and frogs and what to look for at different times of the year. Practical tips on ways to encourage wildlife into your garden are an additional feature, for example by leaving some of a lawn wild. Key vocabulary such as ‘predator’ and ‘camouflage’ is highlighted and defined in a wildlife words glossary at the back of the book. Perhaps a future edition might also


SMc each section and ‘handwritten’ A Library of Lemons HHHHH


Jo Cotterill, Cover illustration Sarah Dennis, Piccadilly, 978-1-8481-2511-7, 248pp, 5.99, pbk


Calypso is a bookworm. This is hardly surprising. Her father, never very sociable, has become increasingly reclusive since the death of his wife. He is completely absorbed in writing a magnum opus: The History of Lemons. In any case he believes in Inner Strength. Though Calypso finds solace in the adventures and friends she makes within the covers of the books she reads, she has never realised how lonely she is – nor how strange her life – until Mae arrives at school. Jo Cotterill here takes a topic made


include parakeets, increasingly prevalent in suburban areas. Likely to inspire budding wild life experts and conservationists, this would be a great addition to any home or school library.


Wings: Flyboy HHHH


Tom Palmer, Barrington Stoke, 115pp, 978-1-7811-2535-9, £5.99 pbk


Jatinder, taking part in a football summer school,


story has plenty of jokes and wordplay to keep readers amused and Ben Whitehouse’s cartoon-style illustrations add to the comic mood. The author also manages to incorporate some sharp social observation and a sympathetic central character into a short, readable story presented with Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly layout and production.


SR Wildlife in your garden HHHHH


Mike Dilger, ill. Sarah Horne, Bloomsbury, 160pp, 978 1 4729 134 2, £12.99 pbk


Written by naturalist and presenter Mike Dilger, this is a wonderful guide to the range of wildlife to be found in gardens or indeed school grounds, parks and woodland. Featuring mammals, amphibians, insects and birds the book explores various habitats - lawns, vegetable patches, trees, hedgerows, and even compost heaps and the fascinating spectrum of wild life to be found within. Although packed


with interesting


his tendency to avoid risk by passing the ball onto team mates instead of having a go at goal himself. His lodgings prove a welcome distraction, situated on an old airfield and near an RAF base, they are rich in the history of two world wars. Jatinder is intrigued by a book he is given about Hardit Singh Malik, the first ever Sikh pilot to fly warplanes. When Jatinder sees the ghostly apparition of a Sikh pilot he is not sure if he is imagining it, or if the airfield really is haunted as his host seems to think? One night he finds he has travelled


is frustrated with


familiar in the novels of Jacqueline Wilson – that of the young carer. In Calypso and Mae the author has created two very likeable and distinct characters. Her adults are believable creating a solid backdrop to the friendship of the two girls without requiring too much depth - though how Calypso and her father have survived is hazy. The author’s style attractive and contemporary without jarring. We enter Calypso’s world with ease. This is a warm-hearted story with a suitably happy resolution that would appeal to young readers who have discovered those favourites from the past – What Katy Did, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables – all of which are cited. Indeed, if they have not been discovered, I would hope the young reader might be encouraged to seek them out. Recommended for all those KS2 readers who do not want magic but do want a slice of life.


FH The Unlikely Time Traveller HHHH


Janis Mckay, Kelpies (Floris Books), 218pp, 9781782502661, £6.99 pbk


back in time and he is at the controls of a Sopwith Camel; a World War One pilot himself. Shot down over enemy territory, he is captured after bravely jumping from his burning plane. As a prisoner of war he daringly takes the opportunity to sabotage the German war effort, at the same time conquering his present day fears of taking risks. This is an exciting adventure story which draws on several real life stories about First World War airmen. The story of Hardit Singh Malik highlights the key role of ethnic minorities within our armed forces and their struggle to be accepted. Flyboy is full of carefully researched detail about


and the book features a Sopwith Camel on the jacket flaps to cut out and make. This is the first of a series by Tom Palmer written in conjunction with the RAF museum in the lead up to the RAF’s centenary in 2018. Published


this book is specially designed to be supportive for children with dyslexia or who find reading challenging. SMc


by Barrington Stoke, airplanes


Saul, Agnes and Robbie are members of a gang who have discovered a way to travel through time. This is the third of their adventures but unlike the others, where they found themselves in the past, in this one Robbie manages to transport himself 100 years into the future and Saul sets off in pursuit. The world they find has many similarities to our own, but because fossil fuels such as oil are running out transport and life in general is less high tech. Whilst trying to find Robbie, Saul meet a girl called Ness and she helps him navigate the differences that he finds in his home town of Peebles and eventually they catch up with their quarry. But how they find their way back home and what is the secret that Ness has been hiding from them, especially from Agnes? This trilogy has been published


by Kelpies, who specialize in work by Scottish writers and set within a Scottish landscape. is a well


action and adventure for the young reader. The characters are easy to empathise with, although Robbie is somewhat irritating and as an adult I would say he needs to think about people other than himself;


author has made me see him in that way, which is a credit to their skill. This current story has several threads running through it; firstly we have the


but the written story with lots of As always this


10-14 Middle/ Secondary


Dancing in the Rain HHHHH


Lyn Joseph, Blouse and Skirt Books, 200pp. 978-9-7654-369- 0 £8.99 pbk


Occasionally, you come across a book that is so good that you just can’t wait to share it with a class of students. This is one such book. It tells the moving story of two Caribbean families brought


tragedy of 9-11. Elizabeth lives in the Dominican


together by the


Republic. With her vivid imagination, she creates myth and magic wherever she goes. She only sees her Dad once a year, when he’s home from his job as a waiter in the Windows on the World restaurant at the top of the Twin Towers in Manhattan. Brothers Brandt and Jared live in Manhattan, because their Mum has moved from the Dominican Republic to work as a corporate lawyer in the World Trade Centre. On 9-11, all of their worlds change irrevocably. The reader isn’t spared the raw


grief of the children and adults as they deal with their loss. Brandt and Jared’s Mum survives and takes her


Books for Keeps No.219 July 2016 27


concerns about the environment and what we are gradually doing to our planet, then we have the way that friendship is often a balance and we like people despite some of their traits and then finally we have the recognition of family and how this can link us with the past and the future. This is a great series for the newly confident reader and can lead to lots of conversations and hopefully a love of time travel stories.


MP Our House HHHH


T.S. Easton, Piccadilly Press, 280pp, 978-1-8481-2567-4, £4.99 pbk


Chloe is ten years old, and she embarks on a writing project about her house, towards the end of the school year. She records fascinating details of her wonderful and chaotic family, including her


nursery school, and her idiosyncratic dad who always gets


of misdemeanours from


increasing frustration and desire for a bit of ‘me time’, which threatens their happiness. Especially funny is Chloe’s younger brother William D, with his reports


from his chores. Also, the siblings’ X Factor style assessments of older brother Jacob’s girlfriends. Chloe is a sympathetic character who is good at reading people, and cares very much about keeping everyone happy. She manages to bring the family together and reminds us all what’s important – the people rather than the place. However, I did have to work hard to get past the use of ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’


side-tracked


make this enjoyable story seem too twee for many readers.


throughout,


which could LT


mother’s


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