Happy New Year Imagineers and readers everywhere. I'm so sorry I haven't blogged for ages .... I've been too busy
READING!
Here's a selection for New Year Reading adventures. Let the reading begin:
READING!
Here's a selection for New Year Reading adventures. Let the reading begin:
To start off a sweet series Called Clementine Rose by Jacqueline Harvey. Good chapter books for 6+ or equally charming to read together. The one above is called 'Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco'. Clementine has quite an eccentric family including a rather stand offish Aunt who ends up accompanying Clementine and her class on a farm trip which makes room for some funny adventures but there's also some little messages about being kind and about people not always being what they appear on the surface.
If Shirley Hughes says it's 'beautifully written' that's enough for me. 'The Children of the King' by Sonya Hartnett has enough intrigue, suspense, character formation to be a page turner for 8+. I don't want to say too much because, if I do, it will spoil the dawning of awareness of who the mysterious boys in a ruined castle are. I'll just say I remember writing an essay about a particular King possibly involved in said mystery many moons ago. The children are discovered by a young girl who has been sent away to her Uncle's mansion during WW2 along with her brother. There's lots of interwoven stories in this including that of the older brother's relationships with his parents and his fight with them to be allowed to be grown up.
'The Brockenspectre' by Linda Newbery (author of Storyshack favourite: Lob) Another beautifully illustrated book with line drawings by Pam Smy. Once again this a book to evoke thought and empathy. It's a good read and in CS Lewis' words will make lots of readers feel like they're not alone. Tomas lives in the mountains with his family. One day his Dad, who is a mountain guide, doesn't return. Folklore tells of a monster in the mountain called the Brockenspectre-Tomas has to overcome his fears when he goes in search of his Dad. It's a sensitive story for 7+ especially if it's read together. It's a good one for realising things aren't black and white, it's not always straightforward to explain why people behave in the way that they do.
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