Tag Archive | Faber & Faber

The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle

Jul5

Entertaining & Exciting

The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle is a delightful children’s adventure and perfect for ages eight years and over. Whatever your age, this book will entertain you.

There are elements that make up an exciting children’s book – a disappearance, a mystery, ‘good’ characters and ‘baddies’. It is the children who band together who become the heroes of the day.

The action is set in Paris, both above and below the city.

We witness the determination of a young girl to survive despite her dreadful parents. She doesn’t just survive but she thrives, rising above her circumstances.

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The Blitz Sisters by Judith Eagle

Apr27

Captivating

The Blitz Sisters by Judith Eagle is a powerful historical children’s novel that absolutely captivated me. It is suitable for ten years and over.

As the title suggests, the book is set during World War II as we follow three sisters from 1939-1947. The tale is divided into three sections as we follow the action from each sister’s point of view. Lydia’s view point covers the start of the war; Peggy is the middle years; and Teddy is the war’s end and peacetime. The sisters are similar but different and what shines through is their love for each other.

There are various scrapes throughout the years as each sister is reckless in a different way. Each sister is motivated by love, as modelled by their mother. “Warm, forgiving arms. Mum.”

Each sister has a personal battle to fight. I felt very sorry for Peggy whose dyslexia wasn’t understood. “Couldn’t endure another lesson with endless numbers and letters and words jumping up and down… in a horrid unintelligible jumble. She couldn’t bear the fear she felt… She had to make herself invisible in case she was asked to read out loud.” Her frustration is easy to empathise with. “School didn’t understand her. Home didn’t understand her.” But Peggy has a gift – she is very artistic.

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The Book Cat by Polly Faber

Jun8

Enchanting

The Book Cat by Polly Faber is a most charming historical tale for ages eight to twelve years, and also for anyone who loves cats.

The book is set in London during World War II. It has its’ roots in fact as T.S. Eliot opened his doors to Morgan, a stray kitty, who then lived in the offices of Faber and Faber.

Starting off in the wider London area before moving to the docks and then to Russell’s Square next to the British Museum, the reader is delighted by the antics of Morgan, a stray cat. Polly Faber has brought him to life with her words as the reader almost ‘believes’ his antics.

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The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll

Jul31

The Adventurous Spirit

The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll is an exciting children’s historical novel that is perfect for ages ten years and over. This book will entertain you whatever your age.

The novel is set in 1616 and has its foundations in fact. There really was a Somerset tsunami. The rest of the story is fictional.

Within the book we see the disparity between the classes and the sexes. The ruling class looked down on those they deemed to be beneath them. The working class had large hearts and a spirit of generosity.

Males were seen as superior to females. It was decided that a teenage boy would be better than any woman, to rule a hamlet that consisted of women and children.

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