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The Best Sleep-Over In The World by Jacqueline Wilson

Feb22

True Characters Shine Through

The Best Sleepover In The World by Jacqueline Wilson is a wonderful read for girls aged eight years and over. It follows on from Sleep-Overs but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the first book first as this one follows on swiftly where that one finished.

Once more we join the five familiar faces as playground politics continue. There is still the character who bullies and is sneakily mean.

The characters do face moral dilemmas. Do they do the right thing? Or do they follow the crowd?

We witness the difference a good school that caters for special needs makes as we once more meet Daisy’s sister, Lily, who has, possibly, cerebral palsy (from the sounds of it). Her love still shines brightly as we see the sisterly bond. How Lily is treated by Daisy’s friends says a lot about their individual characters. Young readers learn that we are all different, and all valued.

The action is told in the first person through the voice of Daisy. She is believable, likable and easy to empathise with.

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Sleep-Overs by Jacqueline Wilson

Feb22

Examining The Minefield Of The Playground

Sleep-Overs by Jacqueline Wilson is a contemporary tale for girls aged eight years and over.

The novel explores the world of friendships in school. It is a minefield, negotiating the politics of the school playground, even though the girls are young.

We meet the school bully who can be very cruel and spiteful. Girls are friends with her out of fear.

There are five friends who have five very different sleep-overs. It is in the final one that true characters emerge, and personalities shine. We see that when a character has a chance to be mean or be kind, she chooses the route of kindness.

The action is seen through the eyes of Daisy and is in the first person.

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The House Of Light & Shadows by Lauren Westwood

Feb22

Waiting For Kintsugi

The House Of Light And Shadows by Lauren Westwood is a powerful contemporary novel that consumed me from the start.

The novel is set in two time periods – present day and the late nineteenth century as we ‘hear’ via a voice in the past what has happened.

An old house links the two time periods, as does a character trapped in time and space. The past is gone but lives on in hearts full of guilt and regret.

In both time periods there are estranged sisters. Words spoken in hurt and anger have done irreparable damage. Characters need to put aside their differences and unite in love before it is too late.

A character is re-living the past, preventing her from living in the present. “The past can’t be recovered… But don’t lose any more time. Stop hurting and start living.”

A phone call out of the blue offers a second chance – but is it too little, too late?

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The Woven Lie by Liz Harris

Feb19

Cosy Crime

The Woven Lie by Liz Harris is a light-hearted historical cosy crime novel that entertained me from the start. It is the third book in The Three Sisters series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The action takes place in a village in Suffolk in 1948 as we join a young woman who has a new job in charge of a local museum.

We witness the passion for the ancient artefacts. We also witness her naivety as she learns on the job and is far too trusting.

Greed is a terrible master. There is sure to be a downfall when greed motivates actions.

The rural setting introduces the reader to a close-knit community where not everyone is quite as they seem.

Times are changing as we move away from the war years. 1948 saw the birth of the NHS. We follow characters who are implementing those changes.

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