Juxtabook

Jill and the Lost Ponies by Jane Badger

Jill and the Lost Ponies by Jane Badger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A brilliant evocation of the world of Jill Crewe as she pursues her first year, pony-less, in secretarial college. Jane Badger captures beautifully the world and the characters of Ruby Ferguson's beloved pony book series to create a new story that had me smiling from start to finish. Voice, tone, and Jill's follies and internal self-agonising are all presented freshly and authentically. Anne, Susan Pyke, Jill's mother (and her soppy stories), cousin Cecilia, Captain Cholly-Sawcutt and other well-loved characters are all here too. I loved every minute and hope she writes some more!

Not only does Jane Badger write fiction she also publishes books. Read more about the UK's premier pony book expert here.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

 

 

If you've just spent half term with a teenager dripping about and are determined to have some good reading matter lined up for them for the summer then you could so much worse than this, reviewed by a tame 14 year old I know:

One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus, is the sort of book you can never put down. It focuses on a group of teenagers, who witness the unexpected death of one on of their classmates, Simon, while in detention with him. Suddenly, the four students find themselves suspects in a murder investigation. They all had a motive and a chance to commit the crime, but as more characters become involved, it becomes clear that some people may have wanted Simon dead more than others.

One of Us Is Lying is fast paced and full of plot twists, the characters are unique with contrasting personalities and the setting of a high school makes the theme of murder seem all the more dangerous, which adds to the excitement. The story finishes with a surprising climax that will leave you amazed.

This book would be perfect to pack for a journey or to read while on holiday. I would recommend it for all teenagers, who like a page-turner. If you enjoyed it, you may also like Between the Lies, by Cathy MacPhail.

I have read this book too and agree with the reviewer: it really is a page turner and it kept this middle-aged reader as engaged as the teen. Not least because it is very reminiscent of the film The Breakfast Club, though One of Us is Lying follows the disparate group of protagonists beyond the detention until the clever reveal at the end.

They don't make them like this anymore ...

For the last four or five years I've helped been teaching a group of 'gifted and talented' children at a primary school. These year 6 and 7 children are amazingly talented readers and as a former secondary school teacher I go in once a week to deliver literature enrichment lessons.

One of the pleasures of this kind of teaching is that every week these children knock me off my complacent perch as they reveal exactly what they can do with a piece of poetry or prose; they are a continual surprise and delight.

One of the depressing things about this kind of teaching is the poor quality of modern children's non-fiction: all super-glossy, illustration rich, and full of snippets of facts in little boxes. High on graphic design and low on continuous prose. It always reminds me of Irwin's "gobbets" that Hector was so sniffy about in Alan Bennett's The History Boys.

When I start teaching this group each year I remind them of the Ladybird non-fiction books. They will have seen them, and some may have one or two passed down by their parents, but they associate them with younger readers and think they've moved on. I point out to them how little they as 9, 10 and 11 year olds see non-fiction just written in paragraphs and extending to 26 pages (all Ladybird books have 52 pages and half are full page illustrations). I commend the Adventures from History series to them.

Not only does the Adventures from History series cover the popular heroes you would expect (Alfred the Great, Robert the Bruce, Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth I, etc) but amongst the 49 titles are some real surprises. What modern publisher would bring out a children's biography of Warwick the Kingmaker, John Wesley or Elizabeth Fry? There is even one of Elizabeth Gaskell.

 

 

I read these books with great pleasure in the 70s and 80s and they were a large motivating factor in my love of history. They have their faults certainly, and no doubt they are a bit over-certain or narrative in style for historians' tastes, but for getting kids interested you can't beat them. Most children don't get the chance to do this kind of reading however.

Another aspect of the teaching I do with this group is on the history of the English language. How English is such a borrower of words and how interesting etymology can be. They look at maps and gradually realise that one local area is full of Norse place names and another a few miles away of Anglo-Saxon ones. They realise that they can see the footprints of the invaders in an OS map. This is one of the most popular parts of the course that I teach. They love it and the National Curriculum hardly goes near it.

Most of you will know of the Ladybird series but if you are looking for children's non-fiction there are others. Ginn did a great little series in the 60s in colour coded shelves for different eras. I've a smashing little book from their 'Blue shelf' in stock at the moment on the history of Books and Writing (again, what publisher would produce this now?).

 

 

It covers the development of paper and writing: papyrus, book rolls, books with leaves, runes, Roman letters, Anglo-Saxon poetry (all riddles and heroes), and the writing culture of the monasteries and St Bede... all in a tiny staple bound little paperback.

 

 

I've a similarly interesting volume called Elizabethan Houses from Ginn's 'Yellow Shelf'. If you have a child or grandchild that likes the Horrible Histories then maybe see if you can interest them in these more detailed books. Apart from improving their history it will challenge their reading no end compared with what is in the school library on the non-fiction shelves.

 

Cross posted on the blog Gifted by Juxtabook.

Reading Round-up

A quick catch-up on some recent good reads:

 

 

The Lie of You by Jane Lythell

I first came across Jane on twitter during a discussion on football (never under-estimate football discussions on twitter!) and immediately loved her blog Chronicles of Chloe Greene. Chronicles of Chloe Greene is partly a traditional blog but also contains lots of entries by 'Chloe', a fictionally blogger. The blog is "set in the 1980's and follows the adventures of feisty, left-of-centre Chloe Greene who lives with her artist lover Kit in challenging conditions". These posts were beautifully characterised and made for really compelling reading. Once I knew she had a book with a publisher, I knew I would have to read it.

The Lie of You is a psychological thriller told in a dual narrative. We follow Kathy and Heja as they battle first at work and then for much more significant stakes. As readable as her blog, this thriller is taut and steady rather than fast and furious, giving plenty of time for Jane's excellent characterisation. Though slightly slower than the genre 'thriller' might suggest, the involvement you have with all the characters (even the bad ones) by the end makes reading the resolution especially tense.

One of the particular pleasures is the fact that the characters all work in the world of architecture and the book is very visual. I love the buildings, the cityscapes and interiors that are almost as important as the plot. This and the characterful, steady pace mean that this might suit those who are not normally thriller readers, as well as those who are.

 

 

The Escape by Robert Muchamore

The Escape was recommended to me by a boy in my 'Gifted and Talented' reading group. He added the comment that he better warm me that it is very violent. He wasn't kiding. Aimed very much at older children it thoroughly entertained this adult. It is violent but then it is set during the Nazi invasion of France, and the things that French children must have seen and experienced at this time does not bear thinking about ...

Marc Kilgore, abandoned as a baby, lives in an orphanage with a corrupt and cruel director who enjoys giving the most brutal beatings. As the Nazis arrive Marc takes the opportunity to steal the director's life savings and his bike and escapes into a world of bombings, fleeing French soldiers and the ever encroaching presence of the invading army. Also on the run is an Englishman with important documents. As he and his children, sensitive, artistic Paul and practical Rosie, flee armed French collaborators, the SS are now also on the trail.

This is the start of a series about child spies run by Charles Henderson, a James Bond-esque character we meet late on the book. The Escape really is a page turner and captures the atmsophere wonderfully, but it is not for the faint-hearted child, especially when Marc crosses the path of the SS a little too closely. I can see why my young friend from the book group loves the series so much though.

 

 ...and reading now?

I've just finished a re-read of the first Fiona Griffiths book Talking to the Dead (you can see my earlier views here). There are not many crime novels that bear a re-read after just 6 months but this one does. It is all down to the brilliant, brilliant characterisation. If you have not come across the series I heartily recommend them.

 

I have also just started Straight Man by Richard Russo. Not a book to read in public places unless you want people to ask you why you're grinning like an idiot. It is only my second Russo and it certainly won't be my last.

 

What are you reading now?

 

 

More on Swallows and Amazons and Bunloaf

Having mentioned recently that I had still not read Swallows and Amazons but that I was familiar with the bunloaf mentioned therein, I found myself standing in front of a copy in the town library whilst I was waiting for my daughter and pounced!

I have finally read and thoroughly enjoyed Swallows and Amazons and I have reviewed it on my YA book blog here.

I was glad to see bunloaf mentioned so often but a bit disappointed that there was not a description of it at all. Ah well, you can't have everything...

Much though I loved the book, I do wonder what modern children would make of it, and I muse along those lines in my review. If you've experience of reading with a child or a children's book group, or know a teen who has recently read the book, I would be grateful for any feedback as to its genuine enjoyability for 9-14 year olds, rather than its appeal for middle aged booksellers! The comments are open over there.

New blog: Gifted by Juxtabook

Just a quick post to tell you about a new blog I've started. As I was making notes on books to read with bright 9-14 year olds it seemed silly not to publish them. So I've started Gifted by Juxtabook. The top cohort of children are known as 'gifted and talented' or G&T and schools have a duty to identify these chidlren and address their special need. So, using that title of gifted and talented I've gone with gifted for the name of the blog. These are not full blown reviews but summaries and notes on watch points, as the problem for bright children is often appropriate subject matter and appropriate reading level are out of kilter.

I will be doing my best to keep up with proper reviewing duties on here too!

The Clumsies by Sorrel Anderson

Thank you to Caroline Smailes for hosting a giveaway for The Clumsies Make A Mess Of The Big Show by Sorrell Anderson. I was delighted to win a copy for my 7 year old and even more delighted, when I said we hadn't met The Clumsies yet, that the publishers sent not one but three titles from the series. So thank you Caroline and HarperCollins.

 

Poor Howard works in an office and he has a very scary boss who likes everything to be ship shape and tidy. Unfortunately Howard has two talking mice living in his office and though they try very hard to help, and put the kettle on an awful lot (those are my kind of mice!) they just cause hilarious chaos. The Clumsies Make A Mess is this first in the series and it is a several-chuckles-a-page worth of fun. If you have ever wondered how to turn an elephant into a dog using only a box, a tooth brush and a mouse you need look no further!

Under the Sea by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen

In my quest to find books that avoid the icky-sticky sentimentality rampant in the publishing world for the under 6s I was delighted that my 4 year old received this lovely book recently. Under the Sea by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen is both visually delightful and textually sensible. It is also non-fiction but even the most dedicated story-head won't notice as there is so much to talk about on each page.

A positive approach for a non-fiction book for the younger age group is the attempt to involved the reader, like a story book might:

"Have you ever looked out to sea and wondered what lies under the waves?"

And just like any good story book would, after taking you on an adventure right to the bottom of the sea with lovely black background pages, and bringing you back up to the sparkling surface, it brings your pre-schooler back to security:

"But sail away far enough across the sea and you'll always come to shore."

There is no reason, of course, why a non-fiction book should be judged by story book type qualities, but the nice bridge in style here is useful if you want to vary your child's literary diet a bit but they expect some narrative tics. If on the other hand you have child stuck on the repetitive non-fiction of near-list type formula tractor or digger or train books then this might also come in handy both for its own sake, and as a non-fiction way into listening to the longer sentences and connected ideas more readily associated (for pre-schoolers at any rate) with a tale.

The endpages also tell me there are 12 more non-fiction titles in this series, focusing on environments but with some historical and weather themes thrown in too. The text is always by Anna Milbourne but the illustrator seems to vary. I quite fancy In the Nest, or In the Castle though On the Seashore would be a good companion for this volume and On the Farm or Under the Ground would appeal to the tractor or train obsessive.

A lovely looking series for which the publishers, Usbourne, should be commended.

Claydon was a Clingy Child

Ripe pickings this week from the foyer of my child's nursery school where there are shelves of tempting books for borrowing. Normally in rather a rush, I fail to linger here but absent mindedly arriving on time (before time!) I began to read the nearest one, Claydon was a Clingy Child by Cressida Cowell. Most stuff for children of nursery age is cloyingly sentimental, and weirdly that is what appears to remain in print. Several of my favourite quirky books for pre-schoolers are only available secondhand and that appears to be the case, sadly, here too.

Claydon is a hanger-on. He grips his mother's leg, "It is safer here", he tells his bear. Forthright Bear thinks differently however. Claydon's mother likes sky diving and rugby: her leg is a rather dangerous spot. The humour comes from the play between the bright illustrations of the inevitable disasters and the convoluted and formal attempts of Bear to talk Claydon into a bit of independence, in this case during a sky dive:

" 'Your mother,' he said, as they rushed towards the Earth at a hundred miles an hour ...' while an excellent person in many respects,' he said, as they floated gently down, 'is also - and I mean this nicely -a MANIAC!' "

The four year old and I have enjoyed a good laugh each morning reading this sitting on our stairs before setting off for nursery, where she is in fact less clingy too when I leave. Humour and self-help!

So if you are stuck in a sugary rut of predictable reading for the children or the grandchildren, and are tiring of little bears who love their mummies (which seems to be the publisher's stand-by subject matter for 2-6 year olds) this is perfect.