Review by Elaine Swan, Langlees Primary School, Falkirk

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Suitable for: 2^nd level

Themes – family, friendships, rivalry, big feelings, influencers, online presence, perceived perfection, morality, honesty, integrity

‘Boy Vs Reality’ is a thoughtful, funny and timely tale which warns us of the massive influence social media has nowadays on our lives.  The story is superbly told through the eyes of the loveable main character of 10-year-old Ethan Lacey who seems to have a better handle on what really matters in life (families, friends, wellbeing) than his family who are only concerned about vlogging their every move, seeking to present perfection, getting maximum likes and collecting the revenue all whilst losing sight of life’s priorities.  All Ethan wants is to enjoy his life in an authentic way without every moment being filmed and shared with millions of followers.

But that is not to be, and the perfect influencer family begins tearing itself apart, with forced smiles and the offline chat fractious and hate-filled, the grown-up plan is ‘fake it’ and keep quiet. No wonder hanging out with his good mates, Arlo and Omar, brings Ethan welcome relief or why he goes to Grandad and Colin the Dog for sanctuary and solace. Because confiding in and collaborating with true friends and, eventually, accepting professional counselling and moving towards reconciliation, is surely the better way.

This book has a contemporary and engrossing storyline with a good balance of humour and heart which had me laughing at one point (the parts with his friends Arlo and Omar) and then feeling so sorry for Ethan just a few pages later as he puts his deepest thoughts, his ‘sticky thoughts’ into Fidget.

The cover is picture-perfect too and the illustrations opening each chapter are a nice touch and quite fitting for the feel of the book.

This book is ideal for reading as a class before discussing the positives and negatives of the online world.  It would be an incredibly helpful introduction for teachers in exploring YouTube aspirations, the concept of online celebrity and protecting our privacy in the digital world, the real worth of online celebrity versus authentic, real experiences or discussing how other people’s actions can make you feel.

In a time of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, Boy vs Reality is exactly what we all need.

 

Review by Elaine Swan, Langlees Primary School, Falkirk

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Suitable for: older 1^st level and/or 2^nd level

Themes – identity, racism, bullying, mixed-race families, 1950s, fostering of ‘brown babies’, post-war life and dealing with the loss of family members, rural life, mining and the use of animals in the pits

The many themes in the book ‘Birdie’ makes it a book that can be read in conjunction with learning about the themes listed above or just as a beautifully written story that made me think of ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Anne of Green Gables’ as I read.

Set in the 1950s, BIRDIE follows the story of a ten-year-old Birdie Bagshaw (great name) living in a ‘brown babies’ children’s home in Leeds – until her great-aunt and uncle invite her to come and live with them in their little village in Yorkshire. When Birdie gets to Barrington Dale she is treated badly by almost everyone she encounters and as Birdie navigates the racist treatment of those around her, she comes across an old pit pony she names Mr Duke, and the pair find a connection, love, and companionship which at that point they both desperately need.

I loved the character of Birdie, a driven little chatterbox, strong but not unemotional, full of opinions, and a love of animals – from the pigeons at the children’s home and her ladybirds kept in numerous matchboxes, to the pony Mr Duke, the last pit pony in residence in the now-nationalised coal mine who Biridie tries to save from the grinding existence of the mine – and from the knackers.

This story will tug on your heart in many ways, and I loved how the author handled difficult aspects of Birdie’s life compassionately and in a way that is perfect for young readers to read and understand.

The reason I gave the book 4 out of 5 and not 5 out of 5 stars (I did love reading it) was because I couldn’t really believe that Birdie would not have, by the time she had gotten to Yorkshire, encountered racism of some sort.

Really liked – Yorkshire dialect, a story about horses without being about privilege, variety of characters (The Reverend, Mr Walter, Julie) and the historical note at the end of the book.

 

Review by Elaine swan, Langlees Primary School, Falkirk

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Suitable for: 2^nd Level maybe even end of 1^st level? 9+ due to the storyline

Themes – Friendship, Guilt, Belonging, Refugees, Illness in families, Is it right to tell a lie?

The Secret of Golden Island reminded me of reading the adventures of The Secret Seven or The Famous Five but without lashings and lashings of ginger ale! I love the idea of kids outwitting adults and having adventures. The characters of Yakov and Skylar were also much more complex and layered than the characters in the Blyton novels – each having already faced challenges and struggles of their own before their paths cross and somehow, they recognise something familiar in each other and the knowledge that they don’t really fit in.  Pupils reading the book could perhaps identify with this.

Farrant uses excellent descriptive language which give the reader a detailed picture of Golden Island, the different journeys at sea and the town of Broademouth itself. She also keeps the story going at pace as the race to win the island picks up memento but keeps you guessing around the true identities and intentions of the adults right to the end. I delighted in Yakov and Skylar’s hope and optimism that they would indeed win the island and the courage, resourcefulness and self-belief they portrayed to win it.  I am sure pupils reading this book will not question the implausible nature of this story anymore than I questioned the Famous Five’s ability to bring hardened criminals to justice.

A jolly good adventure story with heartwarming themes running throughout it.

Review by Elaine swan, Langlees Primary School, Falkirk

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Suitable for: older 1^st level and/or younger 2^nd level

Themes – family, siblings, loss of a loved one, adventure, bravery, making each moment count

Small Wonder is an outstanding adventure story that is full of love. The pace and short chapters kept me wanting to read just a bit more and on the edge of my seat right up to end of the book.  I also found the ending heart-warming and satisfying.

I loved the variety of characters from Tick, his brother, Leaf, and, of course, the incredible Pebble to the terrible bandits and the evil Hunter to the brave commander and knights and weak-willed King Cass – I could see them all clearly in my mind’s eye as I read the book.  Even the presence of their grandfather (who is dead before the story begins) is a significant personality in the story.

The story is told from Tick’s perspective; it is very easy to empathise with this young lad as he grieves for the loss of his grandfather and tries to honour his last words. He questions himself, worrying that he is not good enough, not strong enough and yet, at every turn we see him make kind, thoughtful decisions and constantly strive to do his best.

There is plenty of tension as the story romps along, but there are also tender moments and touches of humour as well. I have never read any of Ross Montgomery’s writing but have just ordered a whole set of his books to introduce to my pupils and add to our school library.