Quinn and her family are heading on holiday and she is expecting the usual week of high action activities, but things take a very different turn when her mums announce that she and her brother (who both know they are donor conceived) have 16 donor siblings. This begins a whirlwind of a week for Quinn who is desperate to discover all she can about these siblings, including whether her worst enemy is one of them. But the more she discovers, the more isolated she feels and Quinn needs to find a way of reconnecting with her family whilst also discovering the truth.
At school, the kids call books like this 'real life stories' and they are always a big hit as it helps readers to see themselves in books as well as to understand issues that are important to them. The Doughnut Club does a wonderful job of portraying family life (squabbles on holiday, seeking food out of the breakfast buffet...) whilst seamlessly weaving in some incredibly important topics: same sex parents and donor conceived children, as well as navigating friendships and family life.
The note above highlights how important books like this are, and the style of writing, as well as the different ways families approach the subject in the book, will allow children to understand the topic of donor conceived children without being overwhelmed. The Doughnut Club is an important book and one that should be in every school.
Tomorrow morning sees the start of a new half-term for me, which means there will be a queue at my office door of children returning their half-term reads and desperate to see what new books I'm adding to the shelves after the holiday. I guarantee that The Doughnut Club (publishing 8/5) will be borrowed before the start of registration! It's a book full of joy, warmth and inclusivity that deserves all the praise that is guaranteed to come it's way.
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