Book Reviews and Blog
Journey Back to Freedom: The Olaudah Equiano Story by Catherine Johnson
24 July 2022
Catherine Johnson’s historical fiction is meticulously researched, richly imagined and beautifully written; her latest novel is inspired by the autobiography of Equiano, and focuses on the decade in which he was captured and enslaved, before managing to buy his freedom at the age of 21.
The story begins in Africa where Johnson flushes out the sparse details provided by Equiano, portraying the terror and pain of the capture, the march to the sea and the voyage over the ocean as an enslaved ‘living ghost’. She then imagines his reactions to being repeatedly bought and sold, and to racist people who attempted to diminish him. Along with Equiano’s frustrations and moments of despair, Johnson includes uplifting and even funny moments in his many journeys and his time living in Britain. Descriptions and dialogue are at times disturbing, but the matter-of-fact delivery in this Barrington Stoke novel means that it is suitable and accessible for Year 7+ students. It will work particularly well in conjunction with a History unit about enslaved peoples & resistance, so I plan to use this with my Year 8 History class.
Johnson includes a detailed afterward which provides more details on Equiano’s life including his work to get slavery outlawed. She recognises that he was a complex person who faced awful situations, and at times made morally ambiguous decisions. Her nuanced approach will lead to thought-provoking discussions, and her engaging style means the book will fly off the shelves.
Birdsong by Katya Balen
10 July 2022
Birdsong packs a heartwarming punch. Annie has been in a an accident with her mother, and her injured arm means that she is longer able to play the flute, her beloved instrument. To make matters worse, their deteriorating financial situation means they have to move. Annie is angry at the world, and at her mother. But then she meets Noah, who takes care of a sweet blackbird family — until one day the mother bird loses her desire to sing. Will Annie and the Mamma blackbird find their music again?
This is a powerful novella about the effects of trauma and the healing power of music. It’s very short, and of course accessible like all Barrington Stoke novels. It would be ideal for a short class readaloud for students in Years 4-7, or for anyone who understands the transformative power of music.
Needle by Patrice Lawrence
18 April 2022
Patrice Lawrence has once again written a gripping and poignant novel. Charlene is in foster care because her mother has died. Her carer Annie is kind and wise, but Annie’s son Blake wants nothing to do with Charlene. Worse still, Charlene is not allowed any contact with her half-sister Kandi who she was exceptionally close to; Kandi’s dad feels that Charlene is a bad influence. This makes Charlene feel desperately lonely and angry. When things go wrong, Charlene works through her emotions by knitting – it calms her when nothing else can. She is knitting a blanket with a dinosaur hood for her sister Kandi. But then it turns out Blake has a mean streak, and Charlene is pushed into the criminal justice system.
This is an honest and deeply empathetic portrayal of a complex teenage character for whom life has been cruel and unfair. Lawrence doesn’t sugar-coat or trivialise the experiences of her protagonists – instead, she brings us into their minds and realities while at the same time exposing institutional and societal failures. I felt so much outrage on Charlene’s behalf. I love the multi-faceted nature of Lawrence’s characterisation, evident even in a short novel like Needle – the motivations and emotions of both adults and young people are explored, with characters capable of change. There are no easy solutions or magic wands – but this reflects real life.
Needle is a powerful addition to the treasure chest of Barrington Stoke published books; these are accessible for reluctant and struggling readers, but contain mature and thought-provoking themes. I highly recommend Needle for Year 8+
13 April 2022
Resist by Tom Palmer
This is historical fiction at its best, set during World War II in the village of Velp near Arnhem. 15 year old Edda is frightened and increasingly hungry, but she shows immense courage in undertaking small actions of resistance against the Nazi occupiers. Like most Dutch families, Edda’s has been traumatised by the war: her uncle was killed by the Germans as retribution for the actions of saboteurs; her brother Alex is in hiding because Dutch young men were abducted and sent to work as virtual slave labour in Germany; her other brother Ian is 17 so should be safe – but is he? And why is Edda’s mother on a list of locals that are ‘not to be trusted’? This is a story of resistance in the face of occupation which seems especially timely given recent events in Ukraine.
My husband is Dutch and we lived on the outskirts of Arnhem for 2 years in the 1990’s. I heard stories about the war years which match closely with events in the book. My mother-in-law was 12 years old in early 1945 and during the ‘Hongerwinter’ (Winter of Hunger), she walked miles to a farm to get some eggs for the family. On the way back, she dropped one. She was so hungry that she licked it from the pavement. Her younger brother died of malnutrition that winter. My father-in-law’s mother was a German living in the Netherlands, and when the Nazis came on raids, she invited them in for ‘kaffee und kuchen’, pretending to be welcoming so that the neighbours would have time to hide their ‘onderduikers’ (people in hiding). I also knew the term ‘moffen’ (a derogatory term for a German soldier occupying the Netherlands) and heard repeatedly – even 50 years after the war! – that ‘moffen’ stole Dutch people’s bikes. Because we lived in Arnhem and are keen historians, I am very familiar with the Battle for Arnhem, having visited the Airborne Museum at Hartenstein many times (on a side note, the movie ‘A Bridge Too Far’ would be an excellent supplement to this novel for secondary school age students). All this is to say that the novel ‘speaks true’ to me, and shows evidence of meticulous research.
One thing I didn’t realise while reading (as I hadn’t read the blurb in advance) is that this novel is loosely based on the childhood story of Audrey Hepburn! After reading, I looked up Velp on Wikipedia and saw that the famous people from Velp included Hepburn; it was only then that I put two and two together, as Edda is the character’s Dutch name, with Audrey as her English name. This added bonus to the story makes me want to read the novel over again after doing some additional research into Hepburn’s family.
I am an English and History teacher at a secondary school, and also the Literacy Coordinator and a Reading Intervention Specialist working with struggling and reluctant readers. In every facet of my work, Resist is incredibly useful. Not only does it subtly teach history, it is also a Barrington Stoke novel, meaning that it is accessible for the reluctant and struggling readers I work with. Palmer is a genius at using crisp, clear language to create vivid scenes and evoke tension, so with my English teacher’s hat on, it is also top-notch. Highly recommended.
27 March 2022
The Light in Everything by Katya Balen
In The Light in Everything, the author of the award-winning October, October has crafted another superb middle-grade novel. It uses a dual narrative structure to explore relationships between step-siblings a complex blended family. Zophia is spirited and angry; she lost her mother in infancy and treasures her relationship with her father. Tom is timid and vulnerable, with deep-rooted trauma stemming from an abusive father. Their parents have fallen in love – and Zophia and Tom hate each other.
Balen’s writing is evocative with vividly imagined place and scene descriptions, but it the emotional punch her work carries that makes her novels so powerful. I loved Tom from the get-go and my heart went out to him as he folded his paper cranes as a coping mechanism; Zophia is portrayed as rather less loveable – indeed, she is often selfish and sometimes quite cruel. But as the book reached its climax, I found myself in tears seeing the way their relationship evolved – and how the community came together to support a family in need.
This would be an extraordinary class read aloud for Upper Key Stage 2.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review #gifted
5 March 2022
Out of the Rubble by Sally Nicholls
Judy has returned to London in early 1945 with the war almost over, but occasional German ‘buzz bombs’ continue to threaten the city. Judy’s mother is living in a caravan because the vicarage the family had lived in before the war is now destroyed; her father is still deployed supporting British soldiers. Judy’s 5 years in Somerset with Betty & Poll were relatively happy, and she grew to love these ‘Aunties’ who took care of her. Her mother is delighted to have her back, but she and Judy don’t quite know how to act around each other. Judy struggles to understand what ‘home’ is – and when she finds the rubble of her old home, she thinks that the fragments of her previous life might help her family to heal.
Many books have been written about the Blitz and the wartime evacuation of children from London; this book is unusual in that it explores the return to London in the aftermath, and the struggles to rebuild a ‘normal’ life. Nicholls has written a powerful and deeply empathetic novel with a richly imagined setting.
Out of the Rubble is the latest in Oxford University’s Super-Readable Rollercoasters series with accessible books suitable for reluctant or struggling Key Stage 3 readers. We have had huge success with intervention groups using these high quality books, especially because there are such fabulous (free) resource packs available to give teachers ideas about how to engage students before, during and after reading. In addition, at the end of each book, there are several additional valuable sections: background to the novel; who’s who in the novel; what to read next (similar themed books); thinking questions; and a vocabulary list of key words that need to be explained. I have been working as a Reading Intervention Specialist for years, and this series is a game-changer. Out of the Rubble, or any of the other books in the series, would also be brilliant as a ‘tutor read’ as they explore complex issues in an engrossing way which will lead to rich discussions.
Highly recommended. #gifted
Loyalty by Avi
6 February 2022
I’m fascinated by children’s historical fiction set during the American Revolution — so much so that I wrote a dissertation for my MA in Children’s Literature on this topic (I analysed the portrayal of female characters living through the Revolution, looking at books published in 1893, 1931 & 1977). Avi’s insightful novel, set in Boston and surrounding areas in the lead up to and beginnings of the conflict, is an excellent addition to children’s Revolutionary War historical fiction. I hugely enjoyed the weaving of actual events and people with fictional characters — Avi did extensive research to find historical nuggets to give the narrative authenticity, and the afterward provides readers with some information on his research process and approach to historical fiction.
But it is Avi’s exploration of the moral ambiguities and complexities of the American Revolution that make this book especially powerful. Young Noah’s father, a fierce Loyalist, is tarred, feathered and dies, and Noah is beaten up by those advocating for independence (not a spoiler — this happens right at the beginning). Noah is determined to remain loyal to the Crown, but a series of events challenge his heartfelt beliefs. His friend Jolla, a free Black young man, is even more conflicted as many Americans wanting independence, including their military leader George Washington, are slave-holders, and Jolla is afraid of being sold into slavery. The British aren’t much better, placing little value on the lives of Black people, using them as pawns in a political & military game. The fundamental question of the book is ‘what does loyalty mean, and who should we be loyal to?’ Noah and Jolla find their own ways to answer this question.
Highly recommended.
22 January 2022
Wrath by Marcus Sedgwick
Marcus Sedgwick is a master of creating mysterious and intriguing situations, and his newest young adult novella is no exception. Cassie has gone missing, and Fitz – who tells the story — is desperate to figure out where she is. Multiple flashbacks build the characterisation of Cassie, a complex character with a troubled home life – and someone who hears a disturbing ‘hum’ coming from the earth that she feels may indicate the end of the world. She just wants someone to believe her. The pace is quick and the text accessible, as is always the case with Barrington Stoke titles, and the setting in Scotland is evocative. I was also struck by the references to Lockdown – it is the first book I have read that explicitly uses the Covid Lockdown as part of its narrative.
This book is ideal for reluctant readers in from Year 8 and up (there is language) or for anyone who wants a quick, intelligent read with ecological themes.
20 December 2021
How You Grow Wings by Rimma Oneseta
Cheta and Zam are sisters in an oppressive family in Nigeria. Cheta is sharp and abrasive, constantly battling with her abusive mother and ignored by her silent father. Zam is quiet and compliant, meaning that she suffers less at home, leading to animosity between the sisters. When Zam is selected to live with her wealthy aunt’s family, their relationship becomes even more fraught as they make their way into adulthood in vastly different situations. The dual perspectives of the sisters mean we deeply empathise with each sister’s predicament. This is a nuanced and provocative novel that confronts family dynamics, colourism, classism and racism – and it is eminently readable with gripping psychological insights into how we react to complex and difficult life circumstances.
Read via Netgalley – to be published in August 2022. Highly recommended!
19 November 2021
A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
This heartbreaking and at times harrowing novel begins with an embalmers’ dinner, where 20-year-old newly qualified William volunteers to travel to Aberfan in the aftermath of the catastrophic coal-tip collapse. The resulting landslide, which overran a primary school, resulted in the death of 116 children. William meticulously takes care of their bodies and sees the agonised grieving of parents; this understandably leads to PTSD later in his life.
The narrative then goes back to William’s days as a young chorister at Cambridge, where his extraordinary voice gives him opportunities. We know that his father died a few years ago, and that his mother Evelyn has struggled with her grief; during these school years, the relationship between mother and son is close – but it is also abundantly clear that something has disrupted their relationship as older William is no longer in contact with his mother.
Throughout, William is supported by his uncle Robert — the identical twin of his father and the owner of the family embalming business; Robert’s life partner Howard has been rejected by William’s mother but William has a strong relationship with him. Gloria is his love and an interesting character in her own right. But my favourite character was the exuberant and incorrigible Martin who also has a voice like an angel.
This novel was much different than the young adult novels or historical fiction that I often read, and the description of embalming was not for the faint-of-heart. But I enjoyed seeing how William’s life unfolded during various crucial periods in his life. Indeed, at the 50% mark of the book, I found myself so engrossed that I read it through to the end, shedding a few tears along the way. The empathetic description of the emotional impact of the Aberfan disaster was especially powerful.
7 November 2021
All the Lights Above Us by M.B. Henry
My family are history buffs with a particular interest in D-Day, so I was pre-disposed to have a favourable view of this historical novel set from June 5th– June 7th , 1944. I was not disappointed.
The story is told from five different women’s perspectives: bold Flora, who lives in Caen and has worked hard to become part of the French resistance — and who hears the secret code announcing the invasion is imminent; beautiful Emilia, also in Caen but a German secretary working for the Gestapo; motherly Adelaide who is housing German soldiers when Sainte-Mere-Eglise becomes a centre-point for the invasion; American Mildred – called ‘Axis Sally’ — who has betrayed her country by making a career as a Nazi propaganda radio broadcaster living in Berlin; and insecure Theda who is a medical volunteer living in Portsmouth on the front line of D-Day casualty treatment. All these women have been underestimated by others – and by themselves. D-Day brings their worlds crashing down; as the narrative unfolds, we find out more about their individual backgrounds, fears, passions and mistakes.
I enjoyed the deeply empathetic portrayal of these complex women, none of whom are perfect heroines but all of whom show inner strength. In fact, I was so gripped by the women’s stories that I read the book in just two sittings. I also relished the historical research clearly put into the crafting of the novel; the fact that I have been to almost all locations mentioned in the novel – Utah Beach, Saint-Mere-Eglise, Pegasus Bridge, Caen, Berlin, Portsmouth) made it even more meaningful. The author’s notes at the end explain clearly what/who is ‘real history’, and what is fictionalised – and how all this fits into the wider historical picture of D-Day.
Recommended!
17 October 2021
The Swallows’ Flight by Hilary McKay
This wonderfully atmospheric historical novel explores children coming of age in the interwar period and during the Second World War. The story is told largely from the alternating points of view of German boys Hans and Erik, and English girls Kate and Ruby (who are relatives of characters in McKay’s equally brilliant World War I era book The Skylarks’ War). This is family saga about how circumstances shape the choices we have – and how our values and experiences can help us forge our own identity despite (or because of) these circumstances. The novel is carefully researched and includes key events like Kristallnacht and the Blitz, but it is largely about friendship, hardship, kindness and cruelty. It features a huge variety of personalities who sometimes clash and sometimes mesh; I especially adored grumpy Grandad and ‘Dog’– who will break and re-make your heart.
I absolutely recommend the audiobook version as the superb narration augments the brilliant characterisation. This is a book to savour, and the audio version helps to slow down the reader to appreciate the nuances, quirky or poignant moments — and of course the evocative use of language.
Highly recommended for Year 5 and up – an ideal read for my Year 7 and 8 students.
26 September 2021
The Lion Above the Door by Onjali Q Rauf
Leo and Sangeeta stand out from their class because of their skin colour and culture – and at times they are bullied because of this. Leo’s Dad says they need to be on their best behaviour at all times and he seems willing to tolerate the racism; the accumulated effect of prejudice leaves Leo feeling emotionally (and sometimes physically) bruised. On a class trip an RAF museum, Leo sees pictures of heroes like the ones in the history books – no one who looks like him. But on that same trip, he sees a commemoration stone of an RAF hero who had the exact same name as him –Leo Kai Lim. So begins the quest to find out more about this hero and others like him. The TV series Real Kidz Rule Remembrance Day competition seems exactly the right forum to tell these forgotten heroes’ stories.
This is a powerful novel exploring courage, friendship, historical/current racism and forgotten histories. As always with Rauf’s novels, her protagonists are interesting, determined and willing to learn. Some of the scenes are hilarious – the accidental setting off of the flight simulator incident is superb – and other scenes will make you cry (no spoilers, but red paint and family connections around the world are involved).
This novel will also make you think carefully about ignored heroes that students should be learning about. As a History & English teacher, I have a chance to transform the curriculum to eliminate cultural blind-spots, and to celebrate all contributions to our shared human experience.
Highly recommended for Year 4+; eminently suitable as a read aloud for Year 7’s.
25 September 2021
Pony by R.J. Palacio
Twelve year old Silas’s father is kidnapped by three threatening outlaws on horseback – and only an Arabian pony returns. Silas is alone. Except not really, as he sees dead people, including his friend Mittenwool who has been with him since infancy, helping to take care of Silas since his mother died in childbirth. Much to Mittenwool’s consternation, Silas is determined to find his Pa and he enters the perilous forest.
Pony is a coming-of-age story, an American West adventure story, and a ghost story exploring the bonds across time and space — and it is steeped in historical research making the mid-1800’s setting seem completely authentic; I especially loved the details about the origin and development of photography, something Silas’s innovative father had learned about after Silas was hit by lightning as a child leaving an imprint on his back.
This is a richly layered, heart-warming book with interesting characters, including the eponymous Pony, though I am not certain about this choice of title as for me Pony isn’t at the heart of the story. It’s all about Silas – his courage; his relationship with Mittenwool, his father and others; his harrowing journey into the forest and towards adulthood.
Highly recommended for Year 7 and up.
29 August 2021
Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks
Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks is a deeply introspective novel set largely in Austria during the social and political upheaval of the first decades of the 20th century. It focuses on the lives and loves of Anton and Lena, both complex and sensitive characters with elaborately imagined thoughts, emotions, desires and mental health issues which are compassionately explored.
The book opens with a field operation to save the life of a solider injured in World War I – Anton. The physical and psychological scars he has developed are crucial to the unfolding of the story. The narrative then starts in the months leading up to the war with Anton as a journalist visiting and writing about the Panama Canal and the murder trial of Henriette Caulliux in Paris. He is obsessed with Delphine, a Frenchwoman who he believes to be the love of his life; but then their countries declare war on each other. Lena’s story begins in 1927 with flashbacks to her youth as the daughter of an alcoholic, impoverished mother and an absent Italian father. She meets a cheerful young lawyer and goes to live with him in Vienna – but the situation for her unfolds in unexpected ways.
The heart of the novel is in 1933 in Schloss Seeblick, a turn-of-the-century sanitorium near a snow-capped mountains and an ice-covered lake. Anton is sent to the Schloss to write an feature piece delving into Austrian psychiatry; Lena works there as a maid. The natural surroundings are vividly described and closely linked to the characters’ emotions; I was reminded of the Romantic Wordsworth’s Prelude and his vision of the impact nature has on the psyche.
Snow Country builds on the first book in a planned trilogy, Human Traces (2005); I haven’t read this yet and feel that the story would have been even more meaningful for me had I known more about the characters Thomas, Jacques and Sonia, and the evolution of modern psychiatry as portrayed in Human Traces. Nevertheless, the book stands on its own. I absolutely loved the strong, independent therapist Martha, daughter of Thomas, who gets Anton (and Lena) to open up.
At times the plot seems meandering but the detailed images and precisely imagined thoughts lead to a richly textured novel – and Faulks’s clever crafting brings various strands together in the end. It is a unique and poignant read which helps the reader to better understand what it means to be human.
3 July 2021
Between Sea and Sky by Nicola Penfold
In this vividly imagined dystopian world, much of the world is underwater and the recent past included mass starvation. Nat lives in the mainland in a compound of concrete and steel on stilted metal legs to protect people from recurrent floods; the Central District strictly controls every facet of life, with people being given ‘civil disobedience points’ for their own and their children’s transgressions – and if points are too high then they are removed to a prison ship on the horizon, never to be seen again. Nat finds some tiny living things which could be pollinators, and he is immediately supposed to turn them over to the Uplands people – but he is curious and he doesn’t. Meanwhile Pearl and her younger sister Clover live on a floating oyster farm and are at one with the sea. They have more freedom, but Clover is ‘illegal’ because only one child is allowed – second children are removed to work for the district, so Clover needs to be hidden from authorities and she can’t go to school. Their mother died several years earlier, and Pearl blames the poisons in the land for her mother’s illness. To Pearl’s enragement, ‘landlubber’ Nat comes for the summer to the sea farm with his mother, a researcher, and the living things he secretly brings with him represent hope and danger.
This is a thought-provoking environmental adventure about a potential future caused by climate change leading to catastrophic flooding and destruction of eco-systems. Penfold is superb at creating settings that make you feel like you are there, and her dual narrative protagonists are interesting and complex. This is an excellent addition to the burgeoning genre of environmental fiction, and will be enjoyed by young people from Year 6/7 and up.
19 June 2021
Mystery of the Night Watchers by A.M. Howell
This historical mystery for middle grade readers is set in 1910 just before the appearance of Halley’s Comet. Nancy (age 12) and her younger sister Violet are whisked away mysteriously by their mother to Suffolk where they sneak into a house with a cupola– and meet their Grandfather they didn’t even know existed. There are family secrets, bizarre actions, dastardly villains, clueless adults and courageous children. I especially enjoyed the links to the suffrage movement and the inclusion of the historically accurate mixed public reaction to the comet which included anti-comet pills and gas masks as people were worried about the comet’s effects.
Children who enjoy historical mysteries like Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries, Phillip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart series of Emma Carroll’s books will enjoy this book. It is aimed at the 8-10 age range so younger than the students I work with, but it will appeal to Year 7’s and 8’s looking for an easy and enjoyable read.
31 May 2021
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
This is a mind-blowing novel that does not fit neatly into a genre, nor does it make for easy reading –though it is completely gripping. It’s a thriller with a dose of horror – and also an exposé as it blows open the ‘whiteness’ of the publishing industry while also exploring the complexities of the Black experience and race politics in publishing and elsewhere. It is even more powerful given Harris’ explanation in the acknowledgements that ‘large chunks’ of her own experiences are ‘woven throughout’ the book.
Nella Rogers works as an editorial assistant at Wagner Books, and she is the only Black person employed in a professional position. She is ambitious and principled as she faces daily micro-aggressions, tokenistic ‘diversity training’ and powerful authors and editors who are uninterested in understanding their own biases. Then Hazel-May McCall, another Black girl, is hired; initially Nella is thrilled as there is finally someone who will understand the nuances of Nella’s experiences on a daily basis – but Hazel acts differently around her white employers, and seems to have doors opened for her. When anonymous threatening notes begin to arrive on her desk, Nella feels vulnerable and suspicious.
The story is largely told from Nella’s perspective though there are several other characters whose inner monologues and experiences are shared, adding to the mystery element of the novel; I found myself waking up in the middle of the night trying to fit different pieces of the puzzle together – a sure-fire sign of a well-plotted book. It is also beautifully written; while I read it the first time for plot, I feel I need to go back and read it again, savouring the evocative details and the rich language. Hair was a motif throughout the book, and I found it fascinating: Harris rightly decided to use hair-linked lingo that white people like me may not understand, but I sure do want to find out more – and I am now hankering for the delicious smell of cocoa butter.
To sum up: a clever, provocative novel that may leave you feeling uncomfortable, and a great read that will leave you hungry to hear more from debut author Zakiya Dalila Harris.
22 May 2021
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
In this teen thriller inspired by the Gossip Girls series, Chiamaka and Devon are the only Black students at a posh private school; the narrative is told in alternating chapters from their points of view. They hardly know each other and certainly aren’t friends – Chiamaka is beautiful and popular with a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality, and Devon is a quiet gay musical student who takes care of his mother as best he can. But then text messages from ‘Aces’ begin with gossip about secret details from Chiamaka’s and Devon’s lives. Who is sending these messages, and what is their agenda?
While I enjoyed the book, and loved the empathetic portrayal of LGBTQ characters, I thought it became bogged down in a systemic conspiracy theory type of narrative meaning that it lacked the nuance that makes a plot more interesting. I would have also liked to understand more about Chiamaka and Devon’s lives and backgrounds – there were a number of loose ends and missing pieces of background information that would have helped me to ‘live with’ the characters. Other characters felt parachuted in and their stories left unresolved, though this may be because a sequel is planned. Possibly one barrier for me is that I have never seen Gossip Girls so I didn’t have that hook into the narrative. I do think the book will be very popular among the teen readers I work with.
Abike-Iyimide is clearly a passionate, talented young writer. This is her debut novel, and she will be one to watch in the future.
1 May 2021
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Set in Georgia in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, this powerful novel delves into the experience of ‘Emancipation’ from the point of view of two formerly enslaved brothers, Prentiss and Landry. While living in the forest close to their old plantation, they meet George, a white landowner and first class loner who has just heard that his son, a Confederate soldier, was killed in the war. A connection between the men develops, and George hires the brothers to help him enact his vision for his land; he pays them a fair wage and treats them well, which upsets the deeply racist local community. George’s wife, Isabelle, is wallowing in grief and unable to communicate with her husband, but she does welcome Prentiss and Landry into her life.
There are several plot twists, and I thought it was a gripping read — but this is largely a character study of four men and one woman who recognise their own frailties and weaknesses but still show extraordinary courage during a tumultuous and dangerous time. I grew to love all five of these main characters — the precise details and multi-layered insights into their thoughts meant that by the end of the novel they felt like family. The visceral descriptions of Georgia landscape, especially George’s land and forest, made the land almost a character in its own right. The language was rich, evoking profound themes, as with this internal dialogue from Prentiss: ‘The present thunders on while the past is a wound untended, unstitched, felt but never healed’.
I am a quick reader and often race through novels, but like an expensive glass of wine, I quickly realised this is a book to savour. I let the words, images and emotions swirl around my head and heart – leading to tears rolling down my face several times. It is poignant, but not depressing as there is always a nugget of hope that helps the characters to endure.
Overall, this is an unforgettable, evocative novel. It is hard to believe that this is debut from Nathan Harris. You can be sure that I will be reading anything he writes in the future.
10 April 2021
Assembly by Natasha Brown
Potent is the word I might use to sum up Natasha Brown’s short book titled Assembly. An unnamed Black British woman narrates the story which is loosely set in a 24 period at a posh countryside garden party but with detours to past transformative moments, many linked to institutional racism or micro-aggressions by the wealthy and powerful. At its heart, it explores ‘assembly’ from a variety of perspectives: from a literal assembly with young people inspired by your successes (a façade of ‘doing the right thing’ according to the narrator) to the metaphorical way in which the pieces of identity are assembled – or torn apart. The medical diagnosis the narrator has just received brings her a raw clarity – a metastasis of her life experiences as she wrestles for control of her future.
As an educator, I think this is a must-study for our Sixth Formers. It is beautifully written, highly original and necessarily provocative as it rips away the idea (put forward in the recent Sewell report) that there is no structural racism.
7 April 2021
Lightning Strike by Tanya Landman
‘Strike a match, light a fire’
Lightning Strike by Tanya Landman is another soon-to-be-released novella in the new ‘Super-Readable Rollercoasters’ series published by Oxford University Press and Barrington Stoke. The book is set in 1888 in the East End of London, and it is inspired by the Match Girls’ Strike that year.
Fourteen year old Eliza and her 12 year old sister Nell work in a match factory where working conditions are extremely poor and wages minimal; but Eliza’s large family struggles to survive and their income is essential. The ‘Match Girls’ are fearful of developing ‘phossy jaw’ – a rotting of the face from the inside out caused by the phosphorus used to make matches in the factories. And they are afraid of the brutality of the foreman Mr Fettler, who has life-and-death power over his employees because of their dependence on the income (the scene where Nell has to get her teeth pulled to be able to keep her job is deeply disturbing!).
Eliza is angry: she refuses to accept that her fate in life and self-worth will be determined by powerful factory owners, wealthy ‘toffs’ or abusive husbands. Social justice advocate Mrs Billingham wants to help – but she doesn’t really understand what life is like for the match factory girls. It is up to Eliza to make a difference despite the overwhelming obstacles she faces.
This gripping, short read will work well in intervention groups and as a whole class read. I’m especially interested in the cross-curricular possibilities of this book: I teach history as well as English, and the Industrial Revolution is one of the topics we explore in Year 8. When I taught this topic before Christmas, I described phossy jaw and explained about labour conditions — but it was difficult to get students to engage with this topic. I looked for accessible historical fiction set in the Industrial Revolution, but found little – until now! I’m a fan of Landman’s well-researched and empathetic historical fiction, and especially delighted with this addition to her body of work.
As with the other Super-Readable books, at the end there is important background knowledge; ‘Who’s Who’; what to read next; thinking questions; and vocabulary/key word lists. Resource packs for teachers are being developed by Oxford University Press. Going forward, I will be using this book in interventions and as a short, whole class read in History and/or English.
6 April 2021
Dark Peak by Marcus Sedgwick
Dark Peak by Marcus Sedgwick is a soon-to-be-released novella in the new ‘Super-Readable Rollercoasters’ series published by Oxford University Press and Barrington Stoke.
The protagonist Porter Fox tells the story, reflecting back on events from decades before and hinting at an inexplicable horror which left scars both physical and psychological. The premise is that two students, Stephanie and Stephen, disappear on a school geography/English trip to Lud’s Church, a deep moss-covered chasm in Back Forest in the Peak District. The chasm is mysterious, disturbing and full of mythology and secrets – including being the reputed site of the Green Chapel from the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Everyone searches for Stephanie and Stephen for hours, though the teachers act bizarrely throughout (and after). Eventually Stephanie turns up, albeit transformed into a more sedate person. But where is Stephen? And why does no one seem to care?
If you have read any of Marcus Sedgwick’s books, you will know he often engages with dark and contrasting themes, and he often includes a touch of the gothic. This book is no exception with mystery and mythology, beauty and horror, destiny and free will, kindness and cruelty. Sedgwick is brilliant in his ability to build tension by dropping clues, leaving the reader gasping for more to make connections – and leaving some questions unanswered.
Segdwick’s writing in Dark Peak is powerful yet straightforward, meaning that it is accessible for the reluctant and struggling secondary school age students I work with. As with the other ‘Super-Readable’ books, there are pages at the end with interesting background to the novel; ‘who’s who’; what to read next; thinking questions; comprehension questions; and a tier 2/key word vocabulary list. Resources to support teaching the novel will be available soon on the OUP website. The book will work well for small group interventions, but equally would be a brilliant, short read aloud for a whole class or even a whole year group.
Also, because of this novella, I now feel compelled to travel to see Lud’s Church in the Peak District. So thank you to Marcus Sedgwick for this superb read, and for helping me with summer travel plans!
5 April 2021
Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
Collin’s mum died two years ago in a car accident, and since then he carries around a bright-orange notebook with instructions for what to do in case of various emergencies. His dad is a brilliant mathematician, but struggles with his emotions and with basic parental responsibilities – he just keeps adding more and more stuff in the house and doesn’t realise how ‘the blob’ impacts Collin. Collin has wonderful friends: Liam, who is always joking and usually in trouble, and whose mum is deeply empathetic; and Georgia, a talented diver who like Liam is fiercely protective of Collin. But he also has to face Before & After, bullies, and the deep shame of what is happening to the house and his life due to his father’s hoarding.
This is a beautifully written book which explores themes linked to grief, compulsive hoarding disorder, neglect and mental illness – but it also has lighter moments, interesting survival strategies (linked to the narrative) and heartwarming friendships.
It is also a verse novel. I’m a big fan of verse novels because of their emotional potency, but also because they appeal to reluctant and struggling readers; I have seen students’ attitudes to reading transformed through verse novels – often the first book they have finished in years. Here is an example from Worst-Case Collin of how just a few words can carry a punch:
2 is a prime number.
2 is the number of years
that have passed since Before became After.
2 is the number of cars
that collided on the bridge.
2 is the number of states separated by the river that runs under the
bridge.
2 is the number of minutes
it took emergency responders to break the window.
2 is too many.
2 is the number of people
left in our home now that Mom is gone.
2 is not enough.
I recommend this poignant, deeply empathetic, accessible verse novel to middle grade students and up – it is perfect for the Year 7 & 8 students I work with, and it will be a popular addition to our library.
2 April 2021
Cat Tales: True Stories of Fantastic Felines by Penelope Rich; illustrated by Isabel Munez
This is a must-read for young (and old) cat-lovers. After an introduction explaining that cats are the most commonly kept pet in the world and that our close relationship with cats goes back thousands of years, the book is separated into five sections: Cats Throughout History; Cats with Jobs; Extraordinary Cats; Famous Cats; and caring for cats. Each section introduces the theme with interesting facts, then tells the real-life stories of between 9-11 cats. For example, the cat Tai Miuwette lived 3000 years ago and was so loved by the brother of the pharaoh that she got her own sarcophagus with hieroglyphs placing her with the gods. Then there was Trim, the cat of Captain Flinders born on a ship in 1799, who sailed around the world with many adventures, including falling overboard and being shipwrecked. In the working cats section, we learn the amazing and sad story of Felicette, the Soviet cat sent into space who returned by parachute (and who suffered a brain injury as a result). My favourite section was the ‘extraordinary cats’ chapter including Ryzhik who learned to walk on four titanium paws, and Felix who flew 288,100kms around the world in the hold of a plane, surviving by licking condensation. As an English teacher, I enjoyed the story about Hemmingway’s six-toed cats in the ‘Famous Cats’ chapter.
These short, independent, entertaining stories – many of which have lovely illustrations — are ideal for the reluctant and struggling secondary school students I work with, and the book would also be popular in primary schools. We will be ordering multiple copies of the books when it is released in the UK in May.
27 March 2021
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
In this powerhouse debut by Native author Angeline Boulley, eighteen year old Daunis has grown up with a dual identity: on her father’s side, she has her Anishanaabe half-brother Levi, her Auntie and other relatives who ensure she is steeped in Ojibwe Sugar Island traditions; on her mother’s side, she has the wealthy, white Fontaine family in Sault Ste Marie, including her beloved uncle David who recently died. She belongs to both communities and neither community – she isn’t enrolled in the tribe because her father wasn’t named on her birth certificate; and she experiences the ‘bigotry bingo’ micro-aggressions in the White community due to her Ojibwe heritage. Ice hockey brings both parts of her identity together, and Daunis is a spectacularly talented player, as is her brother Levi and the gorgeous new hockey player Jamie who arrived with his science teacher uncle Ron. When an extremely dangerous form of meth is responsible once again for a tragedy that rips apart her world, Daunis knows she has to do something – and through the powerful first person narration we are taken on her journey of doubt, resilience, resistance, betrayal, forgiveness and love.
This is a young adult/crossover thriller with dark themes of murder, deception, racism (historical and present), corruption, drugs, injustice and rape – but it is so much more than a run-of-the-mill suspense novel. There is a rich tapestry of Ojibwe culture throughout the book, opening my eyes to traditions, philosophies and medicines; I found myself reflecting on the fact that despite having grown up in the Midwest, I knew almost nothing about Indigenous peoples. What a privilege to have a window opened and to learn from Boulley’s experiences, insights and knowledge.
I listened to Firekeeper’s Daughter and I highly recommend experiencing the novel in this way. Isabella Star LeBlanc’s narration adds an extra layer to Daunis’s already powerful voice, adding in a vulnerability, rawness and anger that is hard to communicate on paper. Listening to the book also forced me to slow down so that I could truly appreciate Boulley’s writing and could savour the underlying thread exploring Ojibwe history and culture.
This is honestly my read of the year– it is intense and gripping, but also important and even transformative. I will be recommending it to Key Stage 4 & 5 students and to anyone else who will listen to me.
7 March 2021
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Spain in 1957 is firmly under the dictatorial control of Franco with fear and secrets ruling and ruining people’s lives. Daniel Matheson is an 18 years old Texan visiting Spain with an oil tycoon father who hopes to do business in Spain – and a Spanish mother who ensured that he speaks fluent Spanish. Daniel is a talented photographer and wants to study photo journalism in university, against his father’s wishes; he also wants to understand the real Madrid, not just the version shown to American tourists.
Ana is the hotel maid in charge of looking after the Matheson family at their posh Madrid hotel. She and her siblings had a traumatic youth because of the continuing Fascist persecution of Republicans; she lives with her brother Rafa, who works in a slaughterhouse and a graveyard, and her sister Julia and her family. Together they try to eke out an existence. But there are secrets which the family needs to keep hidden.
Pura, Ana’s cousin, is a devout Catholic who works at the Inclusa Orphanage. She loves the children, the Church and El Caudillio (Franco); but she sees strange things at the orphanage. Fearless Fuga, Rafa’s friend who wants to be a bullfighter, is disturbed by the number of tiny coffins needing to be buried at the cemetery.
As Daniel explores Madrid through the lens of his camera and develops a relationship with Ana, he peels away some of the hidden layers of the Fascist society.
This is a mesmerising book which is perfectly paced to build tension. I intended to read only a few chapters and finish it over the course of the next week, but was completely drawn in by the plot and the intricate portrayal of Madrid in 1957 and finished the book in a day. I was intrigued by the ways that the individual narratives began to connect and was left surprised by several twists.
The Fountains of Silence feels authentic because it is incredibly well-researched and based on real events in the 36 year post-Spanish Civil War Fascist rule; it includes declassified memos/letters from achives at the end of chapters, an extensive bibliography and a lengthy author’s note explaining her research process. Sepetys is superb at uncovering hidden corners of history, and this book is a worthy addition to her brilliant collection of historical fiction. I’m now really keen to find out more about the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and Spain’s dark history under the Franco dictatorship.
From an educator’s perspective, this would be a superb novel to read with a class in year 8 or 9. It is structurally complex with rich description while simultaneously being completely gripping with themes and history that will engage and empower students.
28 February 2021
The Supreme Lie by Geraldine McCaughrean
The country of Afalia has been hit by relentless rain leading to dangerous flooding. Gloria is a 15 year old maid to Madame Suprema, the secretive and dictatorial ruler of Afalia; she lives in the capital city Praesto and her only real friends are Daisy the dog, and Higgy, who works in a factory. When Madame Suprema runs away from the crisis, her husband world-weary husband Timor has to cover up her disappearance – and asks Gloria to pretend to be Madame Suprema. Much hilarity is the result, but with dark undercurrents of corruption, desperation, and most of all lies – which are supported and encouraged by the newspaper ‘The Voice’.
Meanwhile in the countryside, Heinz is a dog trying to find his Boy Clem, who has been flooded out of his home and is heading south as a refugee. In his search for his Boy, he travels with a dumb dog named MyCar, a pack of feral dogs and a horse. Heinz is desperate to avoid ‘Hound Death’ who because of the flooding is busy collecting souls of humans and animals.
These two narratives eventually weave together in this imaginative and highly original book. Gloria is a worthy heroine struggling to make the right decisions in her new position of power; her relationship with prickly Timor is comic gold but also complex. Heinz is everything a dog should be and more.
This is a thrilling adventure story with plenty of twists and turns, but it also has depth and breadth with an underlying social and political commentary on greed, corruption, manipulation, exploitation and mobs — and also courage and the willingness to stand up for what is right and true.
I am a huge fan of Geraldine McCaughrean’s writing (Stop the Train is my family’s all-time favourite shared book – we listened to it as a family 12 years ago and it still regularly comes up in conversation). Her vivid imagery and clever use of unusual details creates unforgettable characters, and the understated and matter-of-fact narration of devastating events only increases the emotional punch they carry.
As I reached the last few pages of the book, I felt myself tearing up because the journey Geraldine McCaughrean was taking me on was coming to an end. The Supreme Lie is truly an extraordinary book which I will be recommending to students from Year 7 up – and to anyone else who enjoys a great read.
20 February 2021
A Street Dog Named Pup by Gill Lewis
This is an extraordinary story of Pup, a dog who loved and lost, again and again. Pup has an unbreakable bond with his Boy, but the adults don’t want Pup and he is abandoned in ‘Dead Dog Alley’. Frenchie, a street dog, finds and adopts him into the ‘crew’ where Pup learns to survive, avoiding the vicious Sewer dogs and the Snatchers who take street dogs to ‘Dogsdoom’. Pup experiences moments of joy and forges close bonds with the unusual dogs in his pack, each with their own heart-breaking story. Pup’s story takes many twists and turns while his love for and loyalty to his Boy continues.
Pup is an incredibly vivid character created by an author who clearly adores animals. I rooted for Pup throughout his trials and tribulations; I raged at the cruel humans; I laughed at the dogs’ antics; I felt my heart breaking for the Boy and for Pup; and I cried (repeatedly). It is an absolutely engrossing book and will appeal to all dog-lovers from age 10 and up, though I’d give a cautionary note for very sensitive children or those who have lost a dog recently. The illustrations – created by the author – are gorgeous, the pace is lively and the chapter length is perfect for class or evening read alouds (though you will have children begging for more).
I can’t wait for A Street Dog Named Pup to be published on 1 April 2021 as can think of dozens of my students who will love this book – including reluctant and struggling readers. It will fly off the shelves, and I feel privileged to have read a review copy from NetGalley.
Overall: a beautiful, inspiring, thrilling, moving – and that final chapter? Unforgettable.
19 February 2021
The OUP Super-Readable Series: Rat, I Am Minotaur & Edgar and Adolf
I’ll put my cards on the table: the new ‘Super-Readable’ series by Oxford University Press has blown me away. These books are written with struggling or reluctant readers in mind, and OUP has worked with Barrington Stoke to produce books that are accessible. The resource packs to support educators are brilliant (more about these below). But the excellent quality of the writing, the interesting plots and the range and depth of the themes explored are what has really captured my enthusiasm for the series.
Rat by Patrice Lawrence tells the story of teenager Al who lives with his mum in a flat on a tower block estate. Al’s mum was recently released from prison and she has a hard time taking care of him, leading her to steal food. She ends up back in prison as a result. Al blames the secretive neighbour Brayker for his mum getting caught; and Al is determined to get revenge. His half-sister Plum returns to stay with him and his Grandmother does everything she can, but Al feels his only friends are his rats Venom and Vulture. This is a heart-breaking and heartwarming novel that brought me to tears several times.
I am the Minotaur by Anthony McGowan is about ‘Stinky Mog’, a cruel nickname that Matthew was given at primary school because his clothes were unclean; his mum suffers from depression meaning that Matthew has had to largely fend for himself. Now in secondary school, Matthew suffers from a deep sense of shame and tries to be invisible. He mostly succeeds, but then ‘golden girl’ Ari’s bike is stolen, and Matthew is determined to steal it back. This book features Greek myths, a superb librarian and a courageous group of geeks. It is another book that made me cry.
Edgar and Adolf by Phil Earle and Michael Wagg is about football, friendship and loyalty interrupted by war. Adi, a German teenager, travels to the UK in 1983 in search of the footballing hero Edgar Kail who played football against his grandfather Adolf, another football star. Adi has something to give Edgar – but doesn’t know Edgar’s story and how it interweaves with his grandfather’s life. This book is structurally complex as it involves flashbacks, newspaper articles and letters. It all comes together beautifully in the end.
At the back of each book, the publishers provide background knowledge for the issues, institutions or themes that are discussed; a ‘who’s who’ with a summary of each of the characters for quick reference; ‘what to read next’ with books engaging with similar themes; a ‘what do you think’ list of questions for discussion; a quiz (with answers a few pages later); and a vocabulary page with definitions of key/challenging words.
Detailed resource packs to support the classroom reading of the novels are available on the OUP website https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/rollercoasters-ks3/super-readable-rollercoasters/?region=uk. These packs use a variety of evidence-based approaches to text, including Reciprocal Reading, vocabulary development and thematic explorations.
I am the Reading Intervention Specialist and Literacy Coordinator at a large secondary school, and I believe this series of books and the invaluable resources provided with them will be transformational for our struggling and reluctant readers in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. I plan to start using the books immediately – they are exactly what our students need to develop their literacy and their enthusiasm for reading.
My Mission Statement
To ensure every child becomes a fully literate adult empowered to read for pleasure and progress, ready to engage with every form of the written and spoken word.
