The Elephant - Peter Carnavas

 

Olive lives with her father and grandfather ... and a large grey elephant that follows her father wherever he goes. All Olive wants is for the elephant to go away, especially when she is asked to bring something old into school to share with the class. She is desperate to bring in her bike, the bike that belonged to her late mother, a bike that is broken and needs her dad to fix it. Olive decides that it's up to her, with the help of her maternal grandad, to chase the elephant away and hopefully get her bike fixed in time.

The idea of grey animals following people around is clever and one that I fell children of all ages will be able to understand. Olive is the only one who can see the creatures and she seems to understand how they effect her father (and her grandad).  With the help of her best friend, Arthur, and her grandad, she works out to help those around her.

This is a simply wonderful book that deals with the issue of mental health, grief and depression so skilfully. A beautiful story in its own right, it will also be perfect for those children who need to understand that grief can effect people in different ways. 

The Elephant could be used in so many ways: as a book for children to read on their own; as a book for a parent to read to/with a child and also as a book to use in school.  In whichever way it's read, it will provide a great way to open up discussion about a subject that many can find difficult to discuss and explain. 

Publishing 28th January 2021

The Perfect Parent Project - Stewart Foster

Sam has been passed from foster home to foster home for as long as he can remember and all he wants is a family - parents to call his own.  He has a list of what the perfect parents must have which includes owning a BMW MS and going to Disneyland on holiday, but most of all he wants a home (not a house), so when his friend, Leah, suggests that he actively go out and find his parents, he agrees and so The Perfect Parent Project begins. Advertising for the perfect parents, Sam and Leah design posters and deliver them to houses that Sam thinks he would like to live in. But things don't quite go as planned and he begins to wonder if he'll ever find his perfect parents. 

A wonderfully written book, this story gets right to the heart of how children like Sam must feel.  He is desperate to find a family who will love and hug him yet, having been hurt so many times in the past, he's afraid to show his true emotions and to open up and let his current foster family in.   He spends his life expecting to have to pack-up and leave at a moment's notice (& who can blame him) so spends every day on edge, waiting for the end to come and being afraid to commit to things such as a role in the school production of Bugsy, in case he's moved before he can see it through. He just wants to belong somewhere and call somewhere home.

We see so many sides of Sam throughout the book:  the young boy who's hiding at the beginning of the book in Eric, a bin down a side-alley; his outward portrayal of himself as somebody who doesn't care when he's around his current foster family; his desire to hide his home-life from his friends in drama club... it's only with Leah that he really feels he can be himself. Life must be exhausting for him and that comes across in many different way, not least of which in his attempts to keep up with his lies when he's with Josh and his aunt and uncle.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Reilly, the 6 year old son of Sam's current foster parents with whom Sam shares a bedroom. The pair spend quite a bit of time playing computer games, and Sam's caring side comes out strongly here when he is happy to constantly help Reilly. He's a wonderful character whose young age means that he has no motive and simply loves Sam for who he is, and I think that is why Sam allows himself to grow close to him. 

Stewart Foster has a way of writing books that allow children to become immersed in and understand situations that they may never find themselves in - they help children to empathise with issues that other children will experience in a way that is interesting and gripping. The Perfect Parent Project is a heart-warming story that made me want to constantly reach into the book to save Sam, sometimes from the situation he was in and sometimes from himself.  It shows us the importance of trust, friendship and family, of belonging, love and also how much we need hugs. (and yes, I cried and hugged the book at the end!).

Due for release on the 21st January, The Perfect Parent Project will be an other hit for Stewart Foster - I already have several children eyeing it up at school!

Concrete Rose - Angie Thomas

Maverick is living with his mum, and loves basketball, family, and hanging out with his girlfriend, Lisa. However, a DNA test for his best friend’s baby comes back and it’s actually his! Now he has to take care of his new son, whilst also finding a job to make some money, and on top of that he needs to graduate college. Can he do it? Find out soon...

From the start, I loved the style of writing, and the development of the characters was enthralling: I literally cried out “No!!” when I finished the sample! I could not put it down, and just wanted to keep reading. I found Maverick to be a very enjoyable character to read about, and I started to really sympathise with him. This is a very good start to the novel, and I cannot wait to read more.

Daydreams and Jellybeans Alex Wharton (Released 28th January 2021)

 

I enjoy reading poetry but have to admit that I don't read as much as I should do, so when I say that this book made me stop everything and read it as soon as I'd downloaded it, it's quite a feat!

It was Sophie Anderson's cover reveal that alerted me to the book and then Firefly Press said it was available on NetGalley and I was there like a shot!  I decided to just have a peek at the first couple of poems to see what it was like and I didn't put it down until I'd finished!

From the very first poem, Night Music, the pages are just bursting to come alive and the poems are begging to be read aloud ... indeed my husband and son were subject to me spontaneously reading to then as I uttered those words 'Oh, you have to hear this one!'

With themes ranging from snails to maths tests; jam to painting lines on the road, this collection is full of poems that will invoke a full range of emotions.  Lost Smile, in particular, is a poem that I think many will be able to relate to at the minute and made me want to hug the boy in the picture. 

The imagery created in the poems is joyful; the vocabulary and phrasing made my heart sing and Katy Riddell's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment.

These are poems that are begging to be heard and need to be read aloud so they can live in the air and dance into other people's minds to be savoured and enjoyed.  The book is like a hug and the emotionally positive lift we all need at the minute.

Daydreams and Jellybeans will definitely be one of those books I will read and reread and is, without doubt, a book that I will share over and over again with my class, and I know that they will love every poem just as much as I've done.

Huge thanks to Sophie for the cover reveal alert, and to Firefly Press for approving my Netgalley request so quickly.