Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
Monty and the Monster is an exciting middle-grade adventure story full of twists and turns. The characters have been well fleshed out with their own quirks and foibles. The main character, Montague Hyde, lacks confidence and sees everyone as better than himself, especially his ‘perfect’ older brother, Kyle. He is fed up with moving house, as the gated university community he has just arrived at is the fourth move in two years. Each time Monty finds it difficult to make friends and attracts bullies like a magnet.
Things look bleak for Monty that is until he finds a trapdoor in his new attic bedroom. He climbs down the rope ladder and follows a series of tunnels to an underground chamber where he discovers a leather notebook full of experiments and a load of old crates packed with strange chemicals and potions. He follows the instructions to create himself a friend.
After a few false starts, Monty achieves his goal but it is not quite the friend he was expecting as he is eight-feet tall, covered in hair with razor-sharp teeth, long claws and really long eye-lashes. Monty calls his new friend Houdini because of the mysterious way he keeps escaping. When some of the local children start to go missing Monty is worried Houdini might be eating them. Even so, Monty refuses to get rid of his best friend.
A story of friendship and learning to trust your own instincts. This book is a fun read with a subtle gothic-horror feel, suitable for the 9+ age range. The settings are very vivid, especially the skatepark and Monty’s attic bedroom. There are some real laugh out loud moments. I particularly liked the final twist at the end which opens the book up for a sequel.
I also really like the addition of Kev Hopgood’s illustrations at the top of each chapter which show some wonderful facial expressions for Houdini. They add an extra dimension to the book.
Today I am excited to welcome to my blog another special guest. This time one of my favourite picture book writers, John Condon.
When John was a child he was always drawing. So much so that his mother and most of his teachers assumed he would one day become an illustrator or a designer; certainly not an author. Okay, technically he did become a designer… but he’s an author too. Which doesn’t surprise John in the least. John was born and raised in London, but he currently lives on its outskirts where it’s a little leafier. Importantly for him though, it’s just a train ride away from the buzz of town. His favourite holidays involve the sea, which inspires many of his story ideas. Although he doesn’t like to swim in it, he finds the sound of the waves calming and life affirming. He hopes one day to live close enough to the sea to hear it always.
I absolutely loved John’s picture book, The Pirates are Coming – a hilarious retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, with not one but TWO twists! I was hooked to the end of The Wondrous Dinosaurium about a boy searching for the perfect pet. So I am thrilled to be able to interview John about his latest picture book, The Best Bear Tracker.
The Best Bear Tracker by John Condon and Julia Christians
The Best Bear Tracker by John Condon is illustrated by Julia Christians and due to be released by Templar Publishing tomorrow on the18th August 2022.
Thank you John for agreeing to be a special guest on my blog today. It is a great honour to have you here. Let’s dive into the first question.
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Q&A with John Condon
When did you first realize you wanted to write picture books?
Relatively recently. I first conceived the idea of writing a picture book about 11 years ago, when I was still trying to make films. I wanted to create a gift (or perk) for investors in a planned film project and for some reason or other I decided that a picture book was the solution. I then set about converting the screenplay and loved the process. I didn’t manage to turn the script into a successful text, and eventually put it in a drawer, but the spark had been lit and I knew then that I wanted to write picture books. I actually dug that story out not too long ago and have decided to have another go at it. Watch this space.
My favourite bear tracking rule is Rule Number 5: Lure the bear into the open! What is your favourite bear tracking rule and why?
Hmm, I hadn’t considered it but looking at them all now I think it would be RULE 8: Always be brave. Bravery can take many forms, and it doesn’t have to mean wandering alone into a dark cave looking for a bear. To me in means feeling fear or apprehension about something that you want to do and not letting that fear dissuade you. I’ve often found that by being brave I’ve more often than not benefited in some way, whether big or small.
The Best Bear Tracker relies heavily on the illustrations for the humour. Did you have to write extensive illustration notes?
I tend to do that anyway. I know it’s frowned upon by many but I’m quite visual and I can’t help myself. Occasionally they prove to be very useful to editors but if they decide to ignore them, I have no problem with that at all. I just put them in to give an indication of what might happen rather than with any expectation they should be used. In this instance they were necessary, as you know, so there were notes for every spread. They weren’t always extensive, just clear. And, I would still say they were suggestions rather than rules. If the Templar team had other ideas, or Julia Christians my brilliant illustrator had other ideas, I wouldn’t have had an issue with that. Producing a book is without doubt a team effort, and I embrace that process wholeheartedly.
Do you have any rituals or routines that are part of your writing process?
I don’t have any rituals or superstitions and I’m still trying to figure out a routine that works for me. At the moment I tend to bounce between a few ideas, adding little bits to them as I go, until they are in a place where they more or less resemble a coherent story. Once one does, I’ll decide whether I actually like it enough to keep developing it. This is a tricky point in the process because I’ve found that the stories that excite me won’t necessarily appeal to an editor just as the stories that appeal to them don’t necessarily blow my socks off. As a result, I’ve stopped trying to predict which texts will be winners and just submit stories that I feel have value and then let the editors decide. Occasionally I’ll pin my hopes on one but very seldom do those get picked up. The Pirate story was one of those, but the bear story was not. Having said that, Julia Christians and the Templar team have done such an amazing job with it that I have finally fallen in love with the story. I think it looks gorgeous.
What was your favourite book as a child and why?
I honestly don’t remember many books from my childhood. I think I was a bit of a reluctant reader. I was more of a TV and movie person. I absolutely adored the cinema, which was why I eventually began trying to make films of my own. If you had asked me what my favourite film was as a child, I’d have a long list for you. If you asked me what my favourite TV show as a child was, we’d have to debate the multitude of options. Books took a while to capture my heart, but, of course, they eventually did.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about the best Bear Tracker and writing for children?
Only a request that anyone who reads and enjoys this book (or either of my other books) please leave a review on Amazon. Even if it’s just some stars, rather than a written review. It’s hard to know how effective any of this is but I know that I look at reviews and check the star ratings of any book I am considering buying. I also leave reviews for books I have enjoyed. It’s so important to authors to know their work has found an audience. I make very little money as an author (and it’s currently my only form of income) so that feedback gives me encouragement to continue writing. That goes for all children’s authors, I’m sure.
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Thank you John for agreeing to be interviewed on my blog.
You can discover more about John and his writing tips in another interview I did with him, this time for the September 2019 Writing for Children slot in the national writing magazine Writers’ Forum: An interview with… John Condon
Also discover the highlights of John Condon’s book launch for The Pirates are Coming! here: John Condon’s book launch
John’s books are available to buy in any good bookshop and online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
My blog today is a summary of my interview with picture book writer, Rachel Ip, which appeared in Writers’ Forum last year, in the #235 Aug 2021 issue. She talked to me about her picture book, The Forgettery, which has a theme of memory loss. The Forgettery is illustrated by Laura Hughes and published by Farshore Books.
Rachel revealed the inspiration for The Forgettery came from one of her daughters who asked where all the forgotten things go. Rachel loved the idea that we all have a library of forgotten things we can just dive into and explore.
The story gently explores the concept of memory loss and dementia. Amelia and her Granny find themselves inside the magical world of The Forgettery, where they find everything they have ever forgotten. Amelia helps her Granny find her most treasured memories and they make more along the way.
She told me the theme of memory loss came about quite organically when she started writing about memories and the concept of forgetfulness. She explained she didn’t set out to write a story about dementia, but in the (many!) re-writes it became more and more important to the story.
“I was keen to write a hopeful story and show the close intergenerational bond between Amelia and her Granny, their joy in their time together and the importance of their memories and experiences, even those they may have forgotten.”
Rachel Ip
When Rachel was writing the story, she started researching how memories are made and why we forget things. She gathered together lots of advice and recommendations about how to talk to children about dementia, and how to support loved ones living with dementia from places like the World Health Organisation, and reports from Dementia UK, the Alzheimer’s Society and other organisations. Rachel told me all this research shaped the story – particularly the ending, where Amelia makes the memory book to help Granny remember their many special moments together. The book also includes lots of sensory details as Granny remembers the smell of fresh bread and the crackle of autumn leaves underfoot.
“It was important for me to use the right language to talk about people living with dementia, and those who support them. Although dementia isn’t explicitly mentioned in the story, that became important in the way the book was described in the various marketing materials (catalogues, online and back cover copy).”
Rachel Ip
Rachel explained she wanted to capture some of these light-hearted moments inside The Forgettery, as well as explore the deeper theme of memory loss. She advocates there’s something very relatable about forgetfulness. Children are forgetful. They’re busy living life in the moment. Adults are also forgetful. We forget our keys and our glasses. We’ve all felt that rush of nostalgia when a song on the radio takes us back 10 years, 20 years in a matter of moments.
With regards to her writing process, Rachel said if she is working on a particular story, she always read the latest draft aloud and see how it feels before starting to edit.
“I write in long-hand in my notebook until the story starts to take shape, then I create a dummy or page plan to see how the pacing and page turns feel. Only then do I write it up in Word to share with my critique group. Everything goes through critique at least once, often more, before I share it with my agent.”
Rachel Ip
She revealed she has a running list of story ideas in the back of her notebook. It might be a phrase or a question, possible titles, or themes she wants to explore. Gradually these come together and form a story idea. I was surprised to discover she had The Forgettery title long before she found the essence of the story.
For picture books, making a dummy or page-plan really helps her to see whether the pacing is working, and whether each page turn is exciting for the reader. You can download an editable page plan for a 32 page picture book from Rachel’s website here: www.rachelip.com/forwriters.
“The picture book plan helps me to see whether each spread feels sufficiently different for the illustrator to illustrate. With picture books, although I’m not an illustrator, I try to think visually when I write and I always edit to take out anything from the words that could be shown in the illustrations. I add illustration notes as I write, but then I try to remove them all before sharing with my agent (unless the story wouldn’t make sense without them).”
Rachel Ip
She explained, The Forgettery was originally rhyming, and she shared it with course tutors, Joyce Dunbar and Petr Horácek, on a picture book course at the Arvon Foundation. Joyce told her to “rewrite it in crystal clear prose.” This struck a chord with Rachel.
Rachel said there’s a lot of luck and timing involved in being published but if you have a story you really believe in, persevere. She explained that The Forgettery was rejected many times on submission to agents. Her agent, Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson, rejected it a year before she signed with her for another story. By then she had taken Joyce’s advice and rewritten The Forgettery many times and it was much stronger than her original submission. Perseverance is key.
I have previously reviewed another lovely picture book book written by Rachel, The Last Garden by Rachel Ip and Anneli Bray on my blog. You can read the review here: Book Review: The Last Garden.
I really enjoyed this book and was hooked by the first page. It is such a great concept. Libby and the Parisian Puzzle is the story of a young girl who is being sent to join the Mousedale Travelling School, run by her Aunt Agatha. The school is going to be in Paris that term and Libby’s mum waves goodbye to her from the platform of the Eurostar in London. Libby is conflicted as she is excited to be going to a new school but upset she can’t travel to Ecuador with her photographer mother as she normally would.
Libby is a brilliant character that jumps off the page. Her love of mysteries, impulsiveness, love of photography like her mum and determination to get to the truth no matter what, are ideal traits for this young amateur detective. The concept of a travelling school is ingenious allowing for a different setting each book. A fantastic set-up for this unique new series. At Libby’s new school she meets Connie who is also new and they soon become best friends. The story reminded me of a modern version of the Enid Blyton Malory Towers series, which I loved as a child. They go and visit all the main attractions in Paris and during their visits her Aunt is accused of stealing a distinctive jewelled brooch. Libbie and Connie embark on a quest to prove her innocence.
Jo Clarke has set the age range flawlessly for the lower middle grade reader (age 7 – 9 years). This book had plenty of intrigue and the exact amount of red herrings to keep the young readers turning the pages. Jo shows skill in creating well-developed, believable characters with their own distinguishing features so she just has to mention the white and black zebra patterned coat, or the man with the bow tie and we know instantly who she is talking about.
Jo’s vivid descriptions of Paris brought back memories of my own visits to the Eifel Tower, Montmartre and The Louvre. I particularly liked Libby’s reaction to the Mona Lisa, which resembled my own when I first saw it. She includes lots of food and drink that evokes all the senses. My hankering for macaroons and intake of drinking hot chocolate certainly increased during reading this book. Thank goodness for Options! Her descriptions were complimented perfectly by Becka Moor’s illustrations, from Connie’s long flowing red hair to Libby and Connie’s shared bedroom in the school. The detail in each illustration was superb.
I would recommend this book to all young mystery lovers. Jo includes several mysteries to solve as well as the case of the missing brooch. The build-up of how they prove her Aunt’s innocence and expose the guilty party is cleverly and sensitively plotted, avoiding the children doing anything untoward that would make them just as guilty. This is especially true when you consider how two young children are unlikely to be believed over the word of the adults without suitable evidence to back-up their accusations. The final conclusion was realistic, convincing and a delightful climax to this outstanding debut novel. I also enjoyed the sneak peek chapter for the next book in the series, Libby and the Highland Heist.
This book would be ideal for both shared and independent reading in the classroom and would be a brilliant addition to the class bookshelf and all primary school libraries.
In another author interview flashback, I recount when Rebecca Smith told me she used photos and family history to write her saga, The Ash Museum, published by Legend Press. The interview appeared in my ‘Research Secrets slot of Writers’ Forum issue #234 Jul 2021.
The Ash Museum, is an intergenerational story of loss, migration and Rebecca’s search for somewhere to feel at home, inspired by people on her father’s side of the family and what happened to them. She follows their story for five generations and over one hundred years. The character, Emmeline Ash, was inspired by Rebecca’s great grandmother, Edith Hubback, who co-wrote Jane Austen’s Sailor Brothers in 1906.
The Ash Museum is based on what happened to Edith Hubback and her children. Edith’s son, Rebecca’s grandfather, went to India as a tea planter in the 1930s. There he fell in love with and had four children with her grandmother who was Indian. Her grandfather was killed at The Battle of Kohima in 1944. After this happened, the English side of the family took over the care of the four children (including Rebecca’s father) and they were sent to a boarding school on the other side of India; they never saw their mother again.
“I have always wished I knew my paternal grandparents and great grandparents and particularly wanted to know more about my Indian grandmother, about whom we know very little. I wondered what it was like to be her, to have this English “husband” and then to lose him and her children.”
Rebecca Smith
Rebecca’s character, Josmi, is based on what she imagined her grandmother to be like and is at the heart of her novel. In The Ash Museum, Emmie Ash (Josmi’s mixed-race granddaughter) wants to know more about Josmi, and this is one of the things that drives the plot. The novel is about the impact of this loss up and down the generations.
The Ash Museum by Rebecca Smith
As part of her research Rebecca has collected hundreds of books that belonged to previous generations and she explained these were useful in creating characters and historical changes over the generations.
“We can tell so much by what people like to read. I have maps, books about rock climbing with my grandfather’s annotations, an atlas from the 1920s, and poetry, history, philosophy and most importantly, novels. There is a wealth of information to tap into.”
Rebecca Smith
When it came to adding historical details to family meals, she used the only cookery book one of her great aunts had –Radiation Cookery Book: A Selection of Proved Recipes for Use with ‘New World’ ‘Regulo’- Controlled Gas Cookers (19th Edition, 1936). REbecca reckoned it must have come free with her stove. She recognised some of the things she used to cook when she visited and Rebecca tried cooking those and other things herself to get an understanding of the process and how they felt.
The cookery book that belonged to Rebecca’s great aunt
Inspired by her family’s history, she was planning to write lots about The Battle of Kohima where her character, James dies, so she read lots about it and watched documentaries, but in the end Rebecca decided to do things more from his ‘wife’ Josmi’s point of view and ended up with just one very short battle scene. She told me that a lot of her notes and links to articles and images were stored on her phone.
Rebecca explained when she started writing a cousin gave her boxes of family papers. The photos, particularly of when her great grandparents were in Canada, and when her grandfather was in India, were extremely useful. She also found her great grandmother’s diaries kept when her children were small invaluable because her grandmother, Edith Hubback, had recorded things that so many mothers do – funny things her children said and the dates of their first steps and other milestones.
“It was so moving reading these observations 100 years on and knowing what had happened to her children when they grew up.”
Rebecca Smith
She elaborated that the photos showed how Edith had changed from being a beautiful young Edwardian in gorgeous dresses to looking quite broken in the 1940s after her son, my grandfather, had been killed. Rebecca wanted to capture that trajectory. Looking at photos of people and places over time to see how they have changed and traditions changed helped her to do this.
Edith Brown nee Hubback c.1907
Another great research resource was when she was the writer in residence at Jane Austen’s House. She saw the way the curator (then Louise West) used objects to tell the story of Jane Austen and how much can be conveyed and evoked in an economical way and the importance of the visual in storytelling.
Rebecca told me as people walk around the museum, they learn Jane Austen’s story by looking at small things – a needle case made for a niece, Cassandra’s teapot, the quilt made by the Austen women, and of course the books and letters. this observation made her realise by using objects she could have strong threads in the novel without having to ‘tell everything’ that happened.
“I ended up using objects to structure the novel too – it is in the form of a visit to a museum. I plan around scenes and key images – that helps make the writing more manageable and the finished work (I hope) pacier and more memorable.”
Rebecca Smith
Her tip to other writers who want to write a saga is to use your libraries. Librarians are a wealth of information and always pleased to help. she urges authors to make the most of their library card as it gives you access to wonderful resources, many of which you can use remotely so it does not matter where you live.
Title: Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t
Written by: Michael Bright, John Farndon, Dr Jacob F. Field, Abigail Mitchell, Cynthia O’Brien, Jonathan O’Callaghan
Illustrated by: Mark Ruffle and Jack Tite
Edited by: Christopher Lloyd and J.E. Luebering
Published by: Britannica Books
Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t
Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t is a clear and concise encyclopaedia with a twist. This unique encyclopaedia explains what we already know in the fields of chemistry, physics and biology and what we still need to discover. Rather than listing the entries in alphabetical order it is organised in sequential time order – starting from the beginning of time, to the present day and looking into the future where its highlights some of the most intriguing unexplained puzzles in archaeology, engineering, history and science, whilst still embracing the fundamental truth everything is constantly changing.
Aimed at Key Stage Two, Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia is divided into eight chapters, each one written by a different author and all edited by the renowned writer of the What on Earth wallbooks, Christopher Lloyd. The eight chapters are: Universe, Earth, Matter, Life, Humans, Ancient & Medieval Times, Modern Times, and Today & Tomorrow.
Each subject area is explored using diagrams, illustrations, infographics, maps and photography, as well as text. It is divided into separate coloured blocks so even the most reluctant reader can browse, or dip in and out. All the facts and explanations provide a mammoth amount of information in original and engaging ways, which will interest older children and adults as well as KS2. Perfect for STEM education.
Over 100 experts have been consulted in the compiling of this book. At the bottom of each double-page is a credit to the expert who has checked the information and facts included on that spread. At the end of each chapter is an interview with three different experts, explaining what they love about their job and what they are working to discover at the moment. Together these experts form a directory of innovators who have changed the course of history or science with their actions and discoveries. There is also a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each chapter so readers can test their own comprehension. All the answers can be found somewhere within the chapter but are also listed upside-down at the bottom of the quiz.
Readers of all ages will love discovering the facts, lists and information, which may inspire them to do their own research to uncover some of the remaining mysteries of our planet, the universe and beyond. There is cross-referencing so they can explore the topic further from different perspectives in the other chapters broadening their interest and knowledge. What I particularly like is how it highlights particular areas which need our attention that may be of interest to young conservationists.
This exquisitely presented, 416-page compendium of amazing, mind-boggling facts you can trust, will provide hours of exciting learning for curious readers all over the world. An excellent resource to support any topic in the classroom and could be used for homework and home-schooling. This book would make the ideal gift.
This week’s author interview is a flashback to when I interviewed Tania Unsworth For my Research Secrets slot in Writers’ Forum, issue #233 Jun 2021. Tania talked to me about how in-depth research permeates every aspect of her novel, The Time Traveller and the Tiger, published by Zephyr.
Tania told me that even before she began writing the book, she knew she needed to tell part of the story from the point of view of the tiger. But she didn’t want him to be a creature of whimsy or magic. She wanted him to be real. Or as close to real as she could manage, given the impossibility of knowing exactly what it’s like to be another animal. It was important for her to learn as much as she could about the physical characteristics and behaviour of wild tigers.
To do this she started by revisiting two classic books: My India the memoirs of legendary tiger hunter-turned conservationist Jim Corbett, and Peter Matthiessen’s powerful Tigers in the Snow. Then a quick google search turned up The Tiger by John Vaillant. Tania told me the latter extraordinary, beautifully written book was full of information and imagination-triggering insights. It also had a lengthy bibliography enabling Tania to source less well-known – but vital – texts, such as Richard Perry’s The World of the Tiger and Spell of the Tiger by Sy Montgomery.
The Time Traveller and the Tiger by Tania Unsworth
Tania explained she did far more research for The Time Traveller and the Tiger than ended up in the novel, filling her notebook with pages and pages of unused facts, along with drawings of various jungle creatures, because she approached the research in a broad, almost scattershot way, happy to go down any number of online rabbit holes, or wade through scientific accounts detailing how tigers are able to see in the dark or the life cycle of bamboo trees.
“I wasn’t always sure what I was looking for, but I knew it when I saw it; the spark of something I could use, the sudden reshaping of an idea. Casting a wide net in this way made the research process far more dynamic. It didn’t just provide authenticity for my story, it also helped me discover how to tell that story.”
Tania Unsworth
Along with books, Tania scoured YouTube for clips of tigers roaring, growling and ‘chuffing’, and watched documentaries such as David Attenborough’s Dynasties to get a sense of the physical presence of tigers – the way they move and sound and react to their environment.
Her book is set in the jungles of central India, and initially she thought it would be enough to go through Google Images for pictures of ‘Kipling country’, and do a thorough online search on the flora and fauna of the region to find out what a banyan or a peepal or a sal tree actually looked like. But she soon realized that this wasn’t going to be enough. Tania revealed spending a week in Kanha and Bandhavgarh – two tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh changed everything.
“Setting is important to me as a writer, particularly in this book, where the beauty and fragility of the natural world is a big part of the story itself. You can’t tell what the jungle smells like (wild basil and warm grass) just from looking at pictures. And no audio recording of birds and animals can compare to standing in the forest and hearing them for yourself. The notes I made during my week in India transformed the second draft of my book and helped to bring my story to life with a hundred details. The way that termite mounds glitter with tiny fragments of mica. The sound of dew dropping from leaf to leaf in the early morning. The shafts of sunlight pouring through the trees like columns in a temple…”
Tania Unsworth
Her trip wasn’t just useful in terms of providing authentic details. It also gave herideas for plot and character development. For example, the villain iis a man called Sowerby who operates out of a remote hunting lodge. She had a lot of fun describing his study – a ghastly collection of knick-knacks and furniture, all made from animal parts. The inspiration for this came from a visit to the Museum of Science in Boston where I’d marvelled at the reconstruction of a gun room belonging to a certain Colonel Colby, crowded with animal skins and trophies.
When Tania googled ‘objects made from animal parts’ she came across hundreds of old photographs of items – from chairs to waste-paper baskets – that had been constructed out of various wild creatures. Discovering this long-ago trend for grisly home décor gave credence to my description of Sowerby’s room.
It’s a Jungle Out There by Tracy Gunaratnam and Vanentina Fontana
It’s a Jungle Out There is a delightful picture book from Maverick Publishing ideal for reading out loud to a class or child at home. The children will love the idea of a nit picker and be entertained by the exuberant hairstyles of the stylist. The jungle animal theme is brilliant.
Panzee is bored of nit picking in the jungle and wants a more challenging job. When the king of the jungle suggests she styles the other animals hair she is in her element but when Bouffant Bill the royal stylist is summoned the king still announces her as the royal nit-picker, much to Panzee’s dismay.
However the animals revelry and crazy antics are not suited to such bouffant and extravagant hairstyles and wigs. So their hair soon gets in a mess again and they need to return to the stylist. The royal stylist throws down his scissors as he is stressed, overworked and thoroughly exhausted but refuses to simplify his hairstyles.
This is a story about self-fulfilment and finding out exactly what makes you happy. I particularly adore the illustrations and colour palette. Valentina Fontana does not use bold outlines for the characters which give them a more natural feel.
A great addition to the class book corner. It’s a Jungle Out There could also be used to compliment Key Stage One topic work on life in the jungle.
You can buy a copy of, The Very Best Beast by Alison Green and Siân Roberts, direct from the publisher Maverick Publishing, from your local bookshop, or you can also purchase a copy online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
I would like to thank Maverick Publishing for sending me a review copy of The Very Best Beast to review on my blog.
Title: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks
Written by: Emily Kenny
Illustrated by: Flavia Sorrentino
Published by: Rock the Boat (Oneworld Publications)
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks is one of those rare gems that stands out above many middle grade novels. I was totally hooked by Emily Kenny’s unique concept of a young autistic girl who can talk to and shapeshift into different animals.
The book is set at Pebblewood Boarding School, situated on a cliff-top overlooking the beach and caves. The book opens with Alice finding it difficult to keep calm on the beach during the school’s open day, with the hazards of the gritty sand and slimy seaweed threatening to overcome all her senses. Her panic attack leads her to storm off, leaving her grandmother on the beach. When a seagull tells her he has a job for her, Alice is unsure whether she has sunstroke and is hallucinating.
Alice discovers she must endeavour to solve the mystery of who is stealing the animals. Her mission challenges her friendships with the other new students, Ottie and Tim. Both the animal and human characters have been well developed with distinct characteristic traits. All the main characters have difficulties fitting into their new school, each for their own reasons: Emily because she is on the edge of the autism scale, Tim because his mother is suffering from depression and Ottie because her uncle is the headmaster.
I would recommend reading this book as part of national mental health awareness week as, from a teacher’s point of view who has worked in special education, Emily’s portrayal of Alice’s coping mechanisms and problems negotiating new people and situations were realistic and sensitively portayed, as was Tim’s protectiveness of his mother and her depression. Perfect for stimulating a discussion on empathy.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks would be a great novel to read to a Key Stage Two class and is the ideal addition to any child’s bookshelf. There were several well-plotted twists and turns that even took me by surprise. Emily Kenny has succeeded in creating an exceptional book that left me wanting a sequel.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks is available to buy now from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
For my Research Secrets slot in the national writing magazine, Writers’ Forum #235 Aug 2021, I interviewed Lev Parikian about how his research for a previous book helped him to structure his creative non-fiction book, Into the Tangled Bank, published by Elliott & Thompson.
Lev explained, Into The Tangled Bank, grew from his second book, Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? which is the story of the year he spent trying to see 200 species of British bird. It had occurred to him, while travelling the country researching the previous book that as well as the fascinating birds he encountered, the people watching them were worthy of study, whether they were novices with only a vague interest in what they were looking at or expert ornithologists with deep knowledge. It made him think of how we all experience nature in our own individual ways, so the broad idea of a book about ‘how we are in nature’ was born.
Into The Tangled Web by Lev Parikan
In honing the idea from that initial concept it occurred to Lev that he could weave together three stories: his own journey through nature; the people he met on the way; and some of the great naturalists of the past who devoted their lives to studying the mysteries of the natural world.
Lev told me his initial research included everyone he found who fell under the broad definition ‘naturalist’. He noted their dates, area of interest, where they lived, and how they might fit into the arc of the book. From there he whittled it down. He wanted it to move from the familiar and domestic – the wildlife we encounter in our homes and gardens and on our doorsteps – gradually outwards to take in a wide variety of habitats – not just the wild places like nature reserves and mountains and lakes and clifftops but local parks and zoos and even museums, where the wildlife is laid out for us to survey in close detail and at our leisure.
“I love birds, but the lives of twelve ornithologists might not have offered the range I was looking for.”
Lev Parikian
Lev revealed it was important to him to cover a variety of disciplines. This is why he included Walter Rothschild, founder of what is now the Hertfordshire wing of the Natural History Museum; the great poet John Clare, who wrote with such power about the nature on his local patch near Peterborough; Thomas Bewick, the engraver whose illustrations were many people’s introduction to the appearance of birds and animals they would never encounter in the flesh; Sir Peter Scott, a man of extraordinary breadth and founder of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (among many other achievements); Gavin Maxwell, who by all appearances preferred the company of otters to humans.
Charles Darwin’s English Heritage house in Kent, UK
The places he visited became gradually wilder – from the rather genteel surroundings of Charles Darwin’s English Heritage house in Kent to Skokholm, a small island off Pembrokeshire which was the first bird observatory in Britain, and is home to a couple of hundred thousand seabirds and just a handful of humans.
During his week on Skokholm, he was torn about how best to spend my time. He was writing about his own experience of the birds, so wanted to spend as much time as possible outdoors looking at the birds and picking the brains of Richard and Giselle, the observatory’s wardens; but the island has an extensive library, filled with the works of its founder Ronald Lockley and much more, all of which he wanted to read. It was impossible to do everything.
“At the heart of the book was a desire to reflect the various ways we experience nature, whether actively (yomping across a boggy moor hoping for a glimpse of a disappearing curlew) or passively (slumped on the sofa listening to David Attenborough describing the sex lives of aardvarks). And really all that was required in that department was to observe people (including myself) as keenly as I observed nature. There was a fair amount of eavesdropping, but I also made a point of striking up conversations whenever I had the opportunity (and when appropriate) and listening to what people had to say.”
Lev Parikian
Lev explained he found recording all this information difficult and admits he is not naturally organised. But he does have a notebook, which he carries with him most of the time, and whenever possible he jots things down. He also makes use of technology which he said he finds indispensable.
“I took a lot of photographs with my phone to remind me of particular settings or encounters, and if I overheard something particularly interesting or funny it was generally quicker to jot it down in the Evernote app on my phone.”
Lev Parikian
He described the process of writing Into The Tangled Bank, as absorbing everything like a sponge and then squeezing it out afterwards. The trick, he claims, is knowing which is the good stuff.
Much To Do About Writing 