The Fairiest Fairy by Anne Booth & Rosalind Beardshaw review by Lynda Waterhouse

This is a warm and charming picture book that should be a staple in every book corner, library and home. Why? Because it tells the story of Betty, the trainee fairy ,who starts at fairy school and find that it’s a tough and hard place to get things right. Her teacher shakes her head and thinks she is such a messy muddle.  Betty’s confidence takes a bashing when she can’t scatter all the dew drops so they sparkle in the sun, perfect her morning spell to wake up every flower or paint a pretty rainbow.

‘But little, messy Betty had a

Broken-hearted cry.

“I’m always in a muddle,

Even though I try and try”’.

This week all 6-year-olds will take their phonic test .. err .. pardon me .. will be screened and, no matter how kind the teachers are, a lot of the children, like Betty, will get into a muddle  and feel heartbroken.  They won’t understand that the main point of this test is so that schools can be held accountable and that their teacher’s pay will be linked to the results. A perfect time to read them this story and show them that there are other things that matter more than getting the ‘right’ answer. Betty is brave and clever and kind. She helps out a rabbit, a baby blackbird and a butterfly with tangled laces. She makes friends and learns the importance of friendship and working as a team.  

Rosalind Beardshaw’s colourful illustrations perfectly capture the mood and rhythm of the rhyming text. The book also includes a free Stories Aloud smartphone audio book.

ISBN 978 -0-85763-316-3

Published by nosy crow

www.nosycrow.com

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THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING by Marie Kondo. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

This book sets out to teach a way of de-cluttering and tidying that ensures that you need never do it again.

"Tidy a little a day and you'll be tidying forever." Marie Kondo believes that tidying in one go is the only way to stay free of clutter. She insists that you discard before tidying, and that you do this by category and in the correct order, namely clothes - which are easiest to discard - books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) and finally sentimental items (the hardest to let go of.) You are asked to take each item in your hand and ask yourself whether it 'sparks joy'. As long as you don't take this too literally (your thermal vest may not spark joy, but you'll miss it next winter if you chuck it out) I found this an excellent way of clearing excess clothing; and Marie Kondo's system of folding and storing clothes upright, so that you can see what's there, works well.

However, for the purpose of this review I shall focus on my experiment with de-cluttering my office. I am a writer and work at home from a converted bedroom. There are no clothes in my office, so I started with category 2: Books.

Before we start, you need to know that you are not supposed to do one room at a time. Within each category Marie Kondo advocates collecting up all the items that fall into that category in your entire house and piling them on the floor so that you can see exactly what you've got.

This is where Marie Kondo and I part company. I am more than 40 years her senior, and the thought of putting a heap of stuff on the floor and engaging in all that unnecessary bobbing up and down is a definite no-no for me. So I have to admit to having moved the goalposts right from the start. I piled my stuff on a bed, in batches.

I thought it would be easy to cull the books in my office. I usually have no trouble getting rid of excess books elsewhere in the house. However, the books in my office are mostly those I've bought for research - and since much of my work is historical fiction, that's a lot of books. I often re-visit subjects, and these are all books I use and dip into - so I removed very few.

Anxious to succeed, I moved on to papers. This was much more satisfying. I threw out dozens of manuscripts, huge folders of old research notes, decades of correspondence. I cleared my desk of multiple notes written on bits of paper and put any necessary information in a notebook.

I emptied the bulging carrier bag which used to be my repository for wrapping paper, envelopes for re-use, cardboard, etc., then selected sufficient items and put them neatly in a large shoebox (I have never been able to throw shoeboxes away, so I was glad to find that Marie Kondo recommends them for organising storage.)

I tidied my pinboards. I emptied a whole box file labelled 'Stuff for School Visits' since I don't do them any more. I threw out bulging folders of research notes for long since published books. I sorted and thinned drawers full of stationery.

My office now feels less cluttered, I know what I've got and where it is, and that I only have what I need or love. It's a more pleasant space in which to work. You won't see a lot of difference between my 'before' and 'after' photos but, believe me, I've shifted a lot of stuff - stuff which is unfortunately now piled on the landing, on chairs, and on the cellar steps, since the recycling won't be collected for a fortnight.

Marie Kondo's missionary zeal is easy to make fun of, but most of her advice is sensible. She emphasizes that you should focus not on reducing, but on choosing. Her philosophy - be kind to your possessions, thank them, and give them space to breathe - is not quite as daft as it sounds. It helps you to accept that while some possessions were important to you once, and gave you joy, you can let them go and move on.

The test, of course, is: will the clutter build up again? I hope not. But if it does - well, I've always enjoyed de-cluttering.

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GREY ISLAND, RED BOAT by Ian Beck. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Title: Grey Island, Red Boat
Author and Illustrator: Ian Beck
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Pub date: February 2016
Format: pb

Princess Opal lives on the island of Ashes, a grey place where it's always November and it never stops raining.  Her father, the king, is forever taking off in his grey ballon to remonstrate with the rain clouds and the closest the princess ever comes to excitement is watching the fishermen unload their catch. It makes for a dreary life until one day a fishermen rescues a young man in a drifting boat. A boat with a red hull!

The young man is a sort of Midas figure, except that everything he touches turns

from grey to colourful. His magic touch injects a joie de vivre into the princess' life and soon the whole island is infected with his joy.  Not everyone is happy with this turn of events, though. Especially not the king who considers the young man a threat to the island's way of life! So he has him locked up in the dungeons, much to the chagrin of Princess Opal...

This is an original story but it reads like an elegant European fairytale. The beautifully written text, laden with references to precious stones, flows from one page to another, complimenting the gorgeous, retro illustrations. These start off black and white at the start of the bock and gradually get imbued with more and more colour as the story reaches a multicoloured finale. A little gem of a book, both for its story and its fabulous production.

www.spirotta.com
@spirotta

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The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Reviewed by Jackie Marchant

Cara has always been aware of the accident season.  It happens every October and causes falls, injuries and even death – but only to Cara and her family.  Her best friend Bea, despite being close to the family, always survives unscathed, but her ex-stepbrother, who is not  a blood-relative, is prone.  It is the month when their mother does everything she can to stop it – from extra rugs on the floor, padding every corner in the house, making Cara and her sister Alice wear coats and gloves no matter what the weather.

But Cara is seventeen and beginning to ask questions.   What causes this month of danger, which ends at Halloween?  Is there something more sinister going on?  At the same time, she starts seeing shimmery unworldly figures that mirror her close group – herself, her sister Alice, her best friend Bea and her ex-stepbrother Sam.  These alternative people seem to echo the concepts of the faery world Bea is so interested in, while having problems of their own regarding an evil step-father, who bears a striking resemblance to Sam’s long-gone father, who left after three years of marriage to Cara’s mother.   Then there is Alice’s too-good-looking-to-be-true boyfriend and the October bruises that Cara realises weren’t accidents.  Added to the mix is the mysterious Elsie, who has been at school with them all this time, yet no one seems to notice her, especially when she disappears.

These strands are all skilfully woven together in a mix of fantasy and reality, as the mystery deepens and the dangers become more real.  At the same time, Cara has to deal with her feelings for Sam that don’t seem quite right, as well as Bea’s pulling away from her towards Alice.  The tension increases as the story unfolds and hidden secrets come to the surface.

It’s a thrilling, fast-paced read, with well-drawn characters and many heart-in-your-mouth moments.  It’s dark and mysterious, but ultimately a good, satisfying book.  Perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge, I can highly recommend it.

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RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN by Holly Webb, reviewed by Pauline Francis

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published in 1911. This continuation of the story was published by Scholastic in October, 2015. Although it works well as a stand-alone story, I imagine that most readers will know the original.

Is our expectation as a reader of a sequel high because we know that the original is a classic? I think so. It’s always tricky to write a sequel and Webb wisely chooses her own set of characters to open her story. The reader engages with her characters before we meet some from The Secret Garden. This is important so that children who haven’t read it are not at a disadvantage. 

The events of Webb’s story, told from Emmie’s point of view, take place almost thirty years later. She is ten and one of a group of evacuees being sent from their London orphanage just before the declaration of the Second World War. Destination? Misselthwaite Manor in North Yorkshire, the setting of Burnett’s book. When a Mrs Craven comes into the dormitory to see that the children are settled, the link is established. One of the children remembers the plaque in their orphanage, which reads: Founded by a Mr Archibald Craven of Misselthwate Manor in gratitude for the recovery of his son, Colin.

Emmie isn’t happy at all. She feels lonely without her cat, Lucy, especially as she is the only girl of her age in the group. Wandering alone In the huge manor garden, she comes face to face with Jack, a boy of her age, who is Mrs Craven’s son – and later, Mrs Craven herself.

Now I’m ready for a strong link with Mary Lennox, the orphaned child of The Secret Garden, and Webb doesn’t disappoint me. Emmie finds Mary’s dairies, begun in 1910, from which we learn about Mary’s discovery of a secret garden. Emmie finds it too, not the desolate winter garden of Mary’s time, but an end-of-summer garden full of scented roses and lilies.

As the seasons change, there are many happy times: Jack and Emmie become friends; Jack’s father comes on leave from the Air Force, bringing Emmie’s beloved cat from the orphanage; and games of hide and seek in the gardens. This idyll is brought to an end: Mr Craven is killed rescuing soldiers at Dunkirk. Emmie finds Mrs Craven weeping in the secret garden. There’s no tenderness in this scene. The gardener pulls Emmie away, shouting, ‘It’s her place, his and hers, their secret. Leave her alone. Stay out.’

This is the most dramatic part of the story. Emmie is even more desperate and alone. Jack still has his mother. She hasn’t. She only had the garden to make her feel special. It is biblical – chased from paradise, the Garden of Eden. ‘What if I can never go back?’ Emmie whispers.

She has to go back to rescue her cat and comes face to face with Mrs Craven, who says. ‘I stole this garden, Emmie, did you know? I can’t really complain if you do the same, can I?’

Now Emmie understands. Mrs Craven is Mary Lennox. Her husband was Colin, the sick boy who helped her in the garden almost thirty years ago.

Sometimes, as readers, we imagine what young protagonists might be when they grow up. What would Mary Lennox be like? She was a mean and sad orphan, just like Emmie. Yet she has become, thanks to Webb’s skill, a sensitive and caring adult. And now we understand that Emmie’s has the same chance to change.

Return to the Secret Garden is a book about friendship, the effect of war on families – and hope.

The secret garden has worked its magic again.

Pauline Francis

www.paulinefrancis.co.uk

Pauline Francis www.paulinefrancis.co.uk

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A DOG CALLED FLOW by Pippa Goodhart Reviewed by Adèle Geras

My usual disclaimer to start with: Pippa Goodhart is a friend of mine but I promise you I am reviewing her book because I like it   and because, apart from liking it, I think that this kind of book is often overlooked in the press and online in favour of louder, more glamorous books: books which are perceived as sensational in some way: newsworthy,  shocking, edgy.

This short novel was actually Pippa Goodhart's very first book and was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize. It's now  been reissued by Troika Books. It's short and there's a lot to be said for books which are designed for  younger children in a way that isn't too daunting or difficult, and this length will attract readers who might be put off by something denser and more complicated.

One of this story's  most important achievements  is that it encompasses many different plot strands and themes in a very elegant way. It's economical, too, and manages to paint a picture not only of a landscape, but also of a community and a particular family in very few words but without leaving anyone feeling short-changed.

 Oliver is having trouble at school. He can't quite manage reading and writing as well as he would like to.  He desperately wants a dog.   He has a problematic relationship with  Craig, a boy in his class. His parents and sister provide a happy family for him to live in, but even there, his Dad seems set against the idea of a puppy.

For  a while, Oliver  has to hide Flow,  but eventually, even Dad is won over by the puppy who is partly blind. Oliver didn't have to pay for Flow, because the farmer knows he won't make a working dog on the Fells.  

I'm not going to tell you more of the plot, but tension and excitement mount as the story progresses and everything is as  sharply organised and worked out as you could wish for. Problems that Goodhart has set up are resolved in a neat and convincing way, and the satisfaction of a happy ending for everyone is very welcome. 

This would  be a perfect book for readers who are just beginning to try whole books on their own and I think every classroom ought to have a copy on their shelves.

Readers also, incidentally, get a good idea of what the Fells look like and learn about the work of the Mountain Rescue teams. It may be a short book but it packs a punch....and there's a nice little surprise at the very end, which I am not revealing!

Illustrated by Anthony Lewis
Pbk: TROIKA BOOKS (price  £5.99)
ISBN: 9781909991163

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MISTER CLEGHORN'S SEAL by JUDITH KERR, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

Last year Judith Kerr, now in her nineties, had a very special new book published.  Mister Cleghorn's Seal is a delight.  Handsomely produced on thick cream paper, with gold lettering on the cover, this book is a classy one, and a fun and a moving and a beautiful one.  It isn't a picture book.  It's a story book.  But every spread has wonderful soft pencil drawings to accompany the text.  The stubby nice people who live in this story world along with the big-eyed seal pup are very appealing, and the whole book has the most comfortable feel of a story one smiles one's way through reading.

The hero of this story isn't a child.  He's a recently retired old bachelor who isn't sure what to do with his time now that he has no work.  But, never mind that, Mr Cleghorn wants exactly what a child would want, and does exactly what a child would want to do.  When faced with an orphaned seal pub that's starving, Mr Cleghorn simply takes that seal pup home with him on the train.  He feeds it with a baby bottle, and waters it on his balcony with a watering can, and puts it into his bath.  

But there's a problem with keeping a seal in a flat where there's a janitor who is keen on the rules, and those rules state that no pets are allowed.  What is Mr C to do?  He considers the nearby zoo, but it isn't good enough.  Then a lady neighbour proves sympathetic ... and I'm sure you can guess how this story manages to end happily after all.  In saving the seal pup, Mr Cleghorn has saved himself.  

A post script from author/illustrator Kerr tells how this story actually puts right a sadder true story that has haunted her over for years.  'More than a hundred years ago' her father, as a young man, had saved a real life seal pup, taking it home to his flat in Berlin, feeding it with a baby bottle and watering it with a watering can on his balcony, and putting it into his bath, but that pup died.  The post script doesn't add that the man himself was then hounded from his home by the Nazis.  There's a lot of restrained emotion in this story, and that, along with the beauty of the pictures and the production, makes it moving and memorable whilst also fun.  This one really is and story and book for any age from about four up to anything you like!  

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