Fruits of the Autumn

Recent trips to the wilds of Epsom and Ashtead have rewarded me with plenty of fruit for my autumn jam making which I must say is not always appreciated by my husband who believes we could feed an army with the stock we currently have – it will however find its way into hampers at Christmas and happy recipients I am sure.

This brings me quite nicely to my latest reading material, for Cloudberry Castle by Janey Louise Jones opens at Christmas and whilst, despite its charming name, there is very little mention of berries it remains a charming and captivating story for younger readers, fans of ballet in particular. Gently written, touching on difficult issues such as bereavement and grief as well as family tensions this story finds its young heroine, Katie, showing strength in adversity and having a great adventure at the same time. It is a charming, beautifully written story with lots of pace and great appeal.

Perhaps at the other end of the scale are two books for teens which whilst they don’t link to my opening paragraph have still featured in my reading this week and have links to Cloudberry in that they both touch on some hard-hitting themes but do so with great skill so that the reader does not feel bogged down by issues but rather that they are working with the character to face adversity and overcome it. I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter may be a long title but it is an immediate draw!

Its lead, Cammie Morgan, knows seven ways to kill a man but is about to go on her most dangerous mission for Cammie is a member of the Gallagher Girls and whilst the Gallagher Academy may look like any other highly respected girls school from the outside it is what inside that matters and here it is a school for spies and assassins. With a fast pace and gripping story line this is one book that my senior girls can’t get enough of! However as there aren’t enough copies to go round I have been able to tempt at least some of them with Joss Stirling’s magnificent Finding Sky. From its evocative cover, a barbed heart set on a black background to its distinct character this is a book that deceives. I thought I was going to be reading another Twilight spin-off but what I found was a love story with true grit and realism. Coming of age is never easy. When you are in a new country among strange people with new powers it is even harder. Effortlessly blending fiction with fantasy this is a must read for young teens this autumn.

Summer School & dinosaurs!

Well I just don't know what has happened to the wonderful summer we have been promised, nearly the end of August and it feels more like the end of October - I can guarantee though that just as we all head back to school for a new term the sun will come out and the weather will be gorgeous, an Indian summer let's hope!

In the meantime whilst I am trying not to think too much about going back to school as I still have another week and a bit until I have to be there I have been thinking about all the new children I will be meeting who will be starting at 'big school' for the very first time. Whilst I don't actually remember my first day at 'big school' I do have lots of great memories of school and how much fun I had there at a young age. It seems these days, or perhaps it is just the angle I can now take, that children have more worries as they begin their school life. However not to fear for there is help at hand, friends, families and siblings can all help but so to can stories. We often read stories to escape from the real world around us and be transported into wonderful worlds and lives completely separate from our own. These stories can also help us to deal with worries and concerns, working on many levels without obviously doing so.

So you must be wondering what exactly I am getting at here? Well two charming books that I have just read and that I know my nephews will adore - as will any young boys who are dinosaur fans - and let's face it most of them are!

The two books in question are Benedict Blathwayt's Dinosaur Chase! Perhaps better known for his stories of a certain Little Red Train, Blathwayt has now turned his attention to the dinosaur and with wonderful attention to detail has created a charming, funny, fact-filled story. This edition, published by Red Fox comes complete with a story CD too. The story centres on Fin, a dinosaur who is different - he doesn't quite fit the macho dinosaur image and to top it all off he is fluffy so he is a brilliant target for bullies. During a rather long chase Fin soon discovers that whilst he may be different it is in fact very important to be different and he finds a skill that only he has meaning he can outwit the bullies! A great story, beautifully illustrated that will teach children all about dinosaurs and also help them to overcome any fears of bullies.

To accompany this ex-primary school teacher Sheryl Webster has used the skills gained from working with a young age group to become a writer of great stories for them. Workng with the ever popular and inspiring illustrator Jan Fearnley the end result is Tinysaurus. Published in September by Andersen Press, Tinysaurus also features a young dinosaur who is trying to fit in. Tiny's problem is one of size - he is desperate to be bigger. He soon discovers that actually being small isn't so bad after all for even small animals can be heroes! This is a charming story that will endear itself to young readers and dinosaur fans alike, it also has a great message and whilst it may not have a story CD there are teacher resources (from the publisher's website) available making it perfect for use in the classroom - a great start to a new year perhaps?

So if like me you are trying not to think about school starting soon but know it is about to come round all too soon why not try sharing these books with the young children of your acquaintance or even those in your household and teachers take a look at the accompanying notes to provide yourself with a perfect start to the new year!

Happy reading and lets hope these bright and colourful books encourage some sunshine into our lives for the last week of our holidays!

Time for School!

Getting ready to go back to school after a long summer holiday is hard for children, teachers, parents and even librarians!  After all we have all just been enjoying a few long luxurious weeks of not having to do very much, jetting off on holidays if we are lucky and generally having a very nice time.  Many children will be very keen to tell their friends and teachers all about their summer holiday experiences but there is one who really doesn’t want to go back to the first day of term.  This child’s name is Michael and in a hilarious collection of letters to his teacher ‘Dear Miss’ written by Any Husband and published by Meadowside, Michael tries to use his imagination to save him from school.  Will it work or will he be lured in by Misses responses – I will leave the reader will have to discover.  In the meantime here is a taster of Michael’s summer excuses!

Open up the envelope styled book to see a letter from Michael’s headmaster informing him who his new teacher is and how hard he is going to have to work, move on then to Michael’s own letters and telegrams explaining how he has been on a secret mission taking him to the Himalayas, into the Amazon jungle and even onto the ocean.  Unfortunately pirates, alligators and other problems befall Michael making him potentially late for the start of term, can his teacher’s letter of welcome lure him back sooner?

For pre-school children not yet having to experience the first day of term there is pleasure in ‘Dig the Dog’.  Dig’s problems come in the form of Doug the Dog who steals his lovely juicy bone!  Maddy McClellan’s hilarious illustrations and Alison Maloney’s intelligent story writing combine to provide pre-school children with a delightful medley of madness and mayhem in the garden.  The story is a simple one, but very funny and it is the wonderful illustration, as riotous as the story, really bringing the book to life.  The scruffy Doug, smart Dig, scared cats, flying mud and general madcap mayhem jump off the page into the imagination and provide a wonderfully entertaining story to share and enjoy whilst older children head back to school.