Eyes of Me

Through The Eyes of Me

Jon Roberts

Illustrations: Hannah Rounding

Graffeg

Through The Eyes of Me is an adorable, heartwarming celebration of a child with autism. Written by Jon Roberts and inspired by his daughter, we learn of the everyday pleasures and quirks of four year old Kya. Broader than this, it is a celebration of the individual and what makes us who we are.

The picture book is brimming with delightfully playful illustrations by Hannah Rounding who expertly conveys Kya’s world with charm and love. Author Jon Roberts talks more about the book in this video:

I shared the book with Nina (age 8) who empathised greatly with Kya and recognised the characteristics of autism before it was made clear. She has friends in school who are diagnosed with autism and knows individuals who share some of Kya’s dislikes – particularly loud noises and strangely textured food. She also recognised that she was like Kya in some ways and we were able to have a conversation about similarities and differences between individuals.

The book warrants endorsement by an autism charity – Jon Roberts’ text encourages empathy and understanding and the book should be available everywhere it might educate, inform and help as broad an audience as possible.

Goodly and Grave

Goodly and Grave in a Deadly Case of Murder

Justine Windsor

Harper Collins

In the first Goodly and Grave, we are introduced to the characters and learn how Lucy Goodly and Lord Grave become the unlikeliest of crime-cracking partners. It’s a fast-paced, madcap adventure full of warmth and humour (as well as plenty of weird and wonderful plot twists and more than a splash of mayhem). Oh and they have magical powers. I guess the books would appeal to children around the age of 7 to 10; and as a teacher I couldn’t wait to share this book with my Year 4 class, who lapped it up, laughed out loud and were eager to learn of a sequel.

So for the second book, we follow Lucy’s adventures as she joins Magicians Against the Abuse of Magic (MAAM), hosted by Lord Grave. Soil is being stolen from freshly-dug burial grounds and it’s up to Lucy, Bertie (Lord Grave’s son), Smell the cat and the rest of the cast of Grave Hall to piece together the mystery.

As you may suspect from the title, this second book has a darker and more sinister tone; episodes in graveyards at midnight, a disreputable inn, and the creation of powerful creatures that can be used to carry out your will. Not to mention the murders. This is all great news for the plot which zips along with plenty of momentum and a number of surprising turns. The whodunnit element will be guessed early on by the mature reader, but that doesn’t detract from the entertaining chase.

Throughout, Justine Windsor continues to add detail to the magical world she has created. Lucy is constantly learning of new powers and magical phenomenon as the book (and the series) develops. Windsor’s writing is full of verve and seems effortless; I really admire the vocabulary choices which will challenge and inspire the young reader.

 

Illustrations by Becka Moor really support the identity of the book – hilarious depictions of zombie giraffes are one of the highlights and there are plenty of other comedic episodes. Becka has done a great job in anchoring a victorian ambience to the book, particularly through the Penny Dreadfuls, picture frames, character costumes and endpapers.

This all adds up to a very amusing, slightly eccentric and thoroughly entertaining read. Recommended.

Hope

Hope

Rhian Ivory

Firefly Press

Review by Mummy Worm

The opening to “Hope” is gripping: teenage angst at a perilous climax. Rhian Ivory encapsulates the emotional turmoil of dashed dreams perfectly and this will not only resonate with 12+ girls, but also their parents and hopefully boyfriends and brothers too!  But Hope is the eponymous character and the essence of ‘hope’ is what drives this story.

Rhain Ivory has created a potent representation of a teenager struggling with PMDD. Hope is thoroughly convincing; brittle, bruised but equally stoic – her characteristics are inspiring and her struggles engage our empathy. From its perilous introduction, through to the unravelling and rebuilding of the protagonist we root for Hope to find her place of calm and contentment. It was a real pleasure to read this novel and I was particularly drawn to the setting of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Singing Medicine Team. This group, formed in part by Hope’s Mum, uses music to soothe sick children. This part of the story is very clever in the layers of emotion it draws from the reader.

Another high point, amongst the many, was Ivory’s understanding of the wannabe drama student’s psyche. Hope’s best friend Callie is a glorious example and her journey through the novel is also compelling.

Rhain Ivory should be congratulated on bringing a little talked about issue to the forefront; but this is not just a novel to supplement a Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum, it is a key to opening up teenage identity for a much wider audience.

 

Buy Hope direct from Firefly or from your local independent bookshop.

We are grateful to Firefly Press for this proof copy of Hope, which we received in exchange for an honest review.