Regular readers will know how highly I rate the publishers Barrington Stoke for all they do to encourage reading for pleasure for every single child. These three new books written by acclaimed authors published this week are a wonderful example of this publisher’s growing success and I would recommend each of them.
The Little Gems series by Barrington Stoke are perfectly put together for younger readers aged 5+ being presented in a chunky format with a well designed layout. They are ideal for new readers just gaining confidence. This is the third of the stories featuring Sidney and Carrie and is both charming and wise. Lisa Thompson’s books have been featured in Empathy Lab’s Read for Empathy Collections in the past and her approach to storytelling encourages understanding and empathetic responses to everyday problems in her readers of all ages.
In this story best friends Sidney and Carrie are looking forward to their birthdays and as they celebrate them during the same week their parents suggest a joint party. This idea is met with delight by the two children until they gradually realise that they want different things from the party. From the invitations to entertainment to the cake they cannot agree on anything. This dilemma is testing their friendship until a lesson in the classroom encourages them to try a different approach. The delightful illustrations by Jess Rose help to convey the emotions felt by Sidney and Carrie and this gentle story demonstrates the importance of compromise and negotiation in friendships. A really thoughtful and kind story that will engage young readers incorporating everyday situations they will recognise.
Jenny Pearson has a knack of blending a great sense of fun with a thoughtful understanding of children, their lives and their worries in every book she writes. Marvin and the Book of Magic, her second book for Barrington Stoke, is a treat for fans of funny stories however it is threaded through with wise kindness too. The illustrations by Aleksei Bitskoff, who also illustrated Bertie and the Alien Chicken, bring Jenny’s characters to life with great humour and add to the fun.
Marvin’s grandad once told him that he had the gift of magic but after the humiliating events of his attempts on a national TV show involving a badly behaved squirrel Marvin has decided that being a magician is not for him. With his dreams in tatters he feels that he has let his late grandad down and the ridicule he receives from a couple of school bullies increases this feeling for poor Marvin. Luckily he has the support of his kind Dad and his enthusiastic best friend Asha, who is most definitely a glass half full type of person to help him recover. However when he visits a rather special shop he becomes the owner of a mysterious book and encouraged by Asha he is tempted to have one more try. Will his comeback at the school talent show be a success? The carefully structured plot demonstrates how magic can be found in friendships too and perhaps also in self belief and perseverance. This is an absolute delight of a story, with pitch perfect dialogue between the two children and some extremely funny moments but I particularly like its gentle and kind message to its young readers. Jenny Pearson has worked her magic yet again. Suitable for readers of about 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Award winning author Phil Earle has in the last couple of years gained a new fan base due to his excellent historical fiction so for those readers this hilarious but warm and wise story of first love may be a bit of a surprise. I also think that it may encourage many young people who think books are not for them to read for pleasure. Northern Soul is laugh out loud funny but balanced with understanding and experience making it a perfect read for its intended audience.
Fourteen year old Marv loves football and hanging out with his best mate Jimmy. But then one day new girl Carly walks into his classroom and into his life and everything changes. On the same day Marv also discovers the music of Otis Redding thanks to his single parent Dad who owns a local record shop and has what Marv considers extremely dodgy taste in footwear. (I will not enter the crocs debate online!) Although Marv fears that Carly is out of his league he really wants to win her over and make a good impression. When the ghost of Otis Redding appears in his bedroom and offers to help Marv initially is delighted. However this Otis, with a Yorkshire accent and a craving for fast food, may not be quite the help that Marv expected. The ensuing attempts to woo Carly “aided” by Otis are both hilarious and cringe making in equal measure.
Phil Earle has said that “there’s a fair bit of me in Marv” and that I think is what makes this work so brilliantly. The dialogue, the relationships and the situations are given an authenticity that ensure Northern Soul will resonate with many. Readers will empathise easily with Marv as he lurches from one embarrassing crisis to the next and even though I’m far from the intended readership I loved both the story and Marv himself. There is a need for fiction such as this which is both funny and relatable for teen readers, especially boys. Barrington Stoke and Phil Earle make a great team so let’s hope there is more of this to come. Suitable for readers aged 11+ and this accessible book is edited to a reading age of 8.
Thank you to Poppy McLean and Barrington Stoke for providing my review copies.
Sidney and Carrie Have a Party by Lisa Thompson illustrated by Jess Rose
The Little Gems series by Barrington Stoke are perfectly put together for younger readers aged 5+ being presented in a chunky format with a well designed layout. They are ideal for new readers just gaining confidence. This is the third of the stories featuring Sidney and Carrie and is both charming and wise. Lisa Thompson’s books have been featured in Empathy Lab’s Read for Empathy Collections in the past and her approach to storytelling encourages understanding and empathetic responses to everyday problems in her readers of all ages.
In this story best friends Sidney and Carrie are looking forward to their birthdays and as they celebrate them during the same week their parents suggest a joint party. This idea is met with delight by the two children until they gradually realise that they want different things from the party. From the invitations to entertainment to the cake they cannot agree on anything. This dilemma is testing their friendship until a lesson in the classroom encourages them to try a different approach. The delightful illustrations by Jess Rose help to convey the emotions felt by Sidney and Carrie and this gentle story demonstrates the importance of compromise and negotiation in friendships. A really thoughtful and kind story that will engage young readers incorporating everyday situations they will recognise.
Marvin and the Book of Magic by Jenny Pearson illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff
Jenny Pearson has a knack of blending a great sense of fun with a thoughtful understanding of children, their lives and their worries in every book she writes. Marvin and the Book of Magic, her second book for Barrington Stoke, is a treat for fans of funny stories however it is threaded through with wise kindness too. The illustrations by Aleksei Bitskoff, who also illustrated Bertie and the Alien Chicken, bring Jenny’s characters to life with great humour and add to the fun.
Marvin’s grandad once told him that he had the gift of magic but after the humiliating events of his attempts on a national TV show involving a badly behaved squirrel Marvin has decided that being a magician is not for him. With his dreams in tatters he feels that he has let his late grandad down and the ridicule he receives from a couple of school bullies increases this feeling for poor Marvin. Luckily he has the support of his kind Dad and his enthusiastic best friend Asha, who is most definitely a glass half full type of person to help him recover. However when he visits a rather special shop he becomes the owner of a mysterious book and encouraged by Asha he is tempted to have one more try. Will his comeback at the school talent show be a success? The carefully structured plot demonstrates how magic can be found in friendships too and perhaps also in self belief and perseverance. This is an absolute delight of a story, with pitch perfect dialogue between the two children and some extremely funny moments but I particularly like its gentle and kind message to its young readers. Jenny Pearson has worked her magic yet again. Suitable for readers of about 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Northern Soul by Phil Earle
Award winning author Phil Earle has in the last couple of years gained a new fan base due to his excellent historical fiction so for those readers this hilarious but warm and wise story of first love may be a bit of a surprise. I also think that it may encourage many young people who think books are not for them to read for pleasure. Northern Soul is laugh out loud funny but balanced with understanding and experience making it a perfect read for its intended audience.
Fourteen year old Marv loves football and hanging out with his best mate Jimmy. But then one day new girl Carly walks into his classroom and into his life and everything changes. On the same day Marv also discovers the music of Otis Redding thanks to his single parent Dad who owns a local record shop and has what Marv considers extremely dodgy taste in footwear. (I will not enter the crocs debate online!) Although Marv fears that Carly is out of his league he really wants to win her over and make a good impression. When the ghost of Otis Redding appears in his bedroom and offers to help Marv initially is delighted. However this Otis, with a Yorkshire accent and a craving for fast food, may not be quite the help that Marv expected. The ensuing attempts to woo Carly “aided” by Otis are both hilarious and cringe making in equal measure.
Phil Earle has said that “there’s a fair bit of me in Marv” and that I think is what makes this work so brilliantly. The dialogue, the relationships and the situations are given an authenticity that ensure Northern Soul will resonate with many. Readers will empathise easily with Marv as he lurches from one embarrassing crisis to the next and even though I’m far from the intended readership I loved both the story and Marv himself. There is a need for fiction such as this which is both funny and relatable for teen readers, especially boys. Barrington Stoke and Phil Earle make a great team so let’s hope there is more of this to come. Suitable for readers aged 11+ and this accessible book is edited to a reading age of 8.
Thank you to Poppy McLean and Barrington Stoke for providing my review copies.