Things A Bright Girl Can Do - Sally Nicholls

Things A Bright Girl Can Do - Sally Nicholls.

Set between February 1914 and February 1918, this story follows the lives of three young girls during the suffragette movement and also through World War I.

Evelyn is following a traditional life but wants more, including a university education; however, she also has Teddy whom she knows she should marry.  In her quest to find what she wants, she begins to attend suffragette rallies.

May attends an all girls' school but, as she grows older, she is discovering her own sexuality, finding her own way through her teenage years and her emotions.  As part of a Quaker family, her strong beliefs on life and war are at the forefront of her mind as she begins to campaign for women's rights.

Nell is from a big family who are squashed into two rooms of an upstairs house.  The family barely make ends meet and Nell wants to work to earn money to help her family but is thwarted by the conventions of the time.  She also knows she's different: she doesn't feel right in dresses, preferring to wear her brother's clothes and she feels alone in her feelings.

The book follows the lives of all three girls; their fight for freedom as well as the right to vote and have equality.  We see the sacrifices they make and the lengths they will go to to follow their dreams.

K's opinion:
This is an utterly brilliant book that expertly tackles topical and emotional issues.  I found myself shouting at the book as I read the way women were being treated and spoken to, yet also felt pride at the characters and their determination to stand by their beliefs - if it wasn't for people like these girls, women wouldn't have the vote.  It was for that reason that I passed the book straight on to O to read so he could begin to understand why I am so passionate about voting and equal rights - you'll see his opinion below!

I also liked the story line between May and Nell - they are clearly in love and it was gently and expertly tackled, showing the characters that this isn't something wrong or something they will grow out of.

This is a book based on real suffrage scenes and should be read by all YA (regardless of their gender).  I'm sure the 'real' suffragettes would approve and applaud this book.  It makes me proud and grateful for my right to vote.

O's opinion:
The suffragettes went through a lot to get the vote, and this book shows only part of the struggle. I am shocked at the things those women would do for their rights and by the fact that women could go to university but not get at degree at the end of it, even if they worked harder than all of the men.This is what made the book so gripping that I couldn't put it down.

I liked the strength of each of the main characters, especially Evelyn, who was trying to go to university and, after her parents said she wouldn't go, she started to attend suffragette movements. She wouldn't let her parents control her future.

I can't believe that it has only been 100 years since women first got the vote, but this book shows the suffering they went through to get it. Many people would call this a book for girls, but I would recommend it to anybody, boys included. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Thank you for showing me why women deserve the vote, Sally Nicholls.

The Stormkeeper's Island - Catherine Doyle

The Stormkeeper's Island - Catherine Doyle.

"Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones.  A voice he was trying very hard to ignore.
                'Come here,' it was saying. 'Come home.'


Fionn is scared of the sea, always has been but doesn't know why, yet here he is on a ferry with his sister, Tara, heading for the first time to the island of Arranmore for the summer to stay with their grandfather whilst their mother is unwell. Fionn wasn't told about this island by his mother or his sister so he is wondering about the island and why he is forced to live there.  Their grandfather is the island's storm keeper (whose job is to protect the island from the evil sorceress Morrigan) and lives an eccentric life in a dingy cottage full of candles.  However, he is getting old and his memory is fading so a new storm keeper needs to be chosen and it's the island that does this.  By burning candles created by previous storm keepers, Fionn and his grandfather are able to be transported back to different layers of the past in order to understand the history of the island and the need for a storm keeper ... who will be chosen?

O's opinion:
From the start, I was enticed by how Fionn didn't know about the island until his mother put him on a ship heading to it. My favourite part of the story is the candles; I thought they were the most amazing things once I knew more about them.
This book is written like Fionn was reading it because he didn't know what was happening or why he was here until his Grandfather reveals it to him. This is why I found it one of the best books I have ever read.

K's opinion:
This is a wonderful book, full of magic with just the right amount of darkness woven into it.  It's about family and discovering the past as well as tackling the future.  Doyle manages to sensitively tackle Fionn and Tara's grandfather's Alzheimer's as well as their mother's difficulty in coming to terms with the death of his father and the skilful use of candles to link the different parts of the story together (as well as to manage Grandfather's Alzheimer's) was brilliant.

This is a truly wonderful book and one that everyone should read.  Come September, I guarantee that this will be a major hit in my classroom.

"That is your greatest responsibility.  To live a life of breathless wonder, so that when it begins to fade from you, you will feel the shadow of its happiness still inside you and will feel the shadow of its happiness still inside you and the blissful sense that you laughed the loudest, loved the deepest, and lived fearlessly, even as the specifics of it all melt away."

Live Well, Teach Well - Abigail Mann

Live Well, Teach Well - Abigail Mann.

A slightly different blog today ... one from just me as it's a book linked to teaching.

I was sent this book several weeks ago, before the end of the school year & was just too busy to really give it the full attention it deserved (ironic really!), so now I'm on holiday, I've been able to spend some quality time reading it (whilst sat in the garden with a cup of tea!) and what a wonderful book it is!  Full of sensible, thoughtful and useful ideas that make complete sense, this book is a must-read for every teacher.  As a profession, we are renowned for working non-stop and leaving little time for ourselves.  This book will help to make small changes which will help to make a difference.  Split into 7 sections, it's an easy book to pick up and flick through when you're looking for specific ideas, or you can (like me) sped some time reading through it & picking out favourite ideas to implement into your day.

Some of my favourite ideas include:

• secret well-being buddies;
• rainy day retrieval; 
• club classics (our music teacher started a staff choir last year and it's the best way to cheer me up!  I don't claim to be a decent singer but I'm always in a great mood after choir!) 
• snack attack (I'm terrible for reaching for the chocolate!);
• preparation perfect;
• the power of thank-you;
• class mascot (I recently introduced a cuddly Fang from Harry Potter into the classroom & he's always being cuddled in lessons and during reading);

I could go on with this list!

There are several things that I'll be trying from this book come September & many ideas that I'll share with staff.  I'll also be putting the book on display so that staff can 'Live Well, Teach Well'.

Thank-you, Bloomsbury, for sending me this.

The Elsewhere Emporium - Ross MacKenzie

The Elsewhere Emporium - Ross MacKenzie  

The second thrilling novel in The Nowhere Emporium series, Ross Mackenzie brings the Emporium back to life with a new twist: it's been stolen!

Daniel and Ellie reveal the Emporium in a new way: a carnival of wonders! Just as they open up the shop in Keswick, a girl called Edna recognises Daniel as the owner of the Emporium and asks for a picture. She then goes on to find a new tent that no-one has seen before which includes a mirror. Breaking it, Edna then becomes possessed. How will Daniel and Ellie help her out?

Meanwhile, in 1967, Mr Ivy, Mrs Hennypeck and Flintwitch are on the hunt for a killer that has killed 6 magicians and Mrs Hennypeck is next! Will she stop the killer or will she become the next victim? And exactly how are the two stories entwined?

O's Opinion:
This book is the BEST novel I have read this year (and I've read 35 so far!). I found this a gripping tale; from the plot to the characters, everything was perfect. I have to admit that I found the plot a little hard to comprehend at first due to the dual plot/timelines, but after the first few chapters I was utterly gripped - it is a thrilling book and I loved reading it.

Daniel is my favourite character because he is very determined, not only to get his job back; but because he doesn't want to loose the new life the Emproium has given him.

Flintwitch is my favourite character in the past because he is, at first, overlooked by Mrs Hennypeck but recognised as talent by Mr Ivy. He is very courageous and I would love to be like him because he gets to work with some very talented people, as well as himself, of course.

This book needs to be read again and again. It is definitely Ross MacKenzie's finest book.

K's Opinion:
This was a much anticipated book in our house and we were thrilled to receive an early copy.  When it arrived in my classroom there were squeals of delight, audible gasps and desperate attempts to liberate it from my desk!  For a brief time, I became a slightly cool teacher thanks to The Elsewhere Emporium! 

I had intended to keep the book until the summer holiday to read but was just too tempted by its cover and the promise of what was inside to wait so I gave in to my willpower and I'm so pleased I did!  This is a wonderful book with adventure and beautifully written description woven seamlessly together (I kept going back into the classroom and reading snip-its to children who were as fully appreciative of the picture Ross paints as I was).

The dual plot was a highlight for me as I liked not quite knowing where it was taking you, but I thoroughly enjoyed be lead around London, Edinburgh and Keswick until finally all was revealed! 

This book is a triumph, Ross MacKenzie! 

'when the grand old shop made of midnight bricks comes to your town at last' will you pay the price of one dream and enter?  

I know we certainly will!

The Lost Magician - Piers Torday

The Lost Magician - Piers Torday

"You're saying that stories are real?"

"Well ... of course they are!"

It's post-World War II and siblings Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry are sent to stay with Professor Diana Kelly in Salisbury after their home is damaged during a bombing raid.  They are given the freedom to explore the house ... except for the top floor which is out of bounds.  However, Larry wanders up there and discovers a rather wonderful and magical library which is divided into three categories: Read, Unread & Never Read.  Venturing towards the 'Reads' he also discovers that he has entered Folio, a world inhabited by the fictional characters in the books.  Shortly after he returns to the house, his sister, Evelyn, discovers the library and comes across the world of the Unreads who also inhabit Folio; however, they believe that the world should be dominated by facts and the future.

Back in Salisbury, the house is raided by the military police.  Fearing the gun-shots, the children make for the top floor and head into Folio for safety and to search for the founder of the library, the one person they think can help them.  However, they soon discover that the Reads and the Unreads are at war with each other and then their adventure really begins.

K's Opinion:
From the very first page, this book had me spellbound.  The writing flows effortlessly and the story unwinds with a gentle elegance that allows you to feel that you're being cocooned in a comforting blanket.  The idea of the Reads and the Unreads, fiction and non-fiction, being at war with each other is clever, yet makes complete sense to me (I often have children in the classroom who will have a preference for one or the other), yet even in the midst of the action, I have never read war described so beautifully!

This book has a real feel of classic children's literature and I guarantee that the story will stay with you long after you've read the final page.  This is a rather delicious book that you will want to both gobble up in one go and savour at the same time!


O's Opinion:
The first thing I loved about this book is how well it is written; from the description to the plot, I found the style of writing absolutely stunning.

My favourite character is Larry because he is the youngest so people don't always believe him. He is the one who discovers Folio yet nobody thinks he's telling the truth; however, his stubborn nature means he refuses to back down and this is the thing I like about him, for without that discovery, the adventure would never have begun - and what a spellbinding adventure it is! He is my favourite by far because it's not the adventure that's beckoning him, it's the thought of a friend in danger, a friend that he could lose.

This novel is now one of my favourites in the world and I would recommend it to anybody craving an adventure.

'"Why would people never want to read?"
I have no idea!'

After reading this book, neither do we!