Tag Archive | Michael Joseph

A Load Of Old Tripe by Gervase Phinn

Jan16

A Real Gem

A Load Of Old Tripe by Gervase Phinn is a most delightful children’s historical novel and perfect for ten years and over. Whatever your age, this is another gem from Gervase Phinn.

The story is set in 1957 as we follow Jimmy who’s eleven and his friends Micky and Iggy.

Told in a wonderfully down-to-earth style and with much humour, we follow Jimmy as he prepares for his eleven plus.

Jimmy is a likable lad and a good friend to Iggy who is clever but has a poor home life and is a social misfit. We drop in on their class as they have various activities including a trip to Whitby.

Jimmy is an ordinary lad who gets into scrapes – dropping the tripe for his dad’s tea, and eating a whole coffee and walnut cake to name but a couple.

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A Wayne In A Manger by Gervase Phinn

Jan2

Very Charming & Very Funny

A Wayne In A Manger by Gervase Phinn is a very charming and amusing account of school nativities as seen through the eyes of small children when Gervase Phinn was school’s inspector for Yorkshire.

Nativities are always a very charming part of school life. Much hilarity is found when small children improvise. “Mary sighed and thrust the large doll representing the Baby Jesus, with a fair bit of force, on to the lap of Joseph with the words, ‘You ‘old Him a bit. ‘E’s gerrin dead ‘eavy.’”

There are wise words coming from young mouths. “Allus speak tha mind. Say what tha’s got to say an’ then shurrup.”

And we hear of the Good News of Christmas. “There’s summat special abaat it [Christmas], isn’t there?… People smile more, they look ‘appier.”

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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars by Gervase Phinn

Jan2

Hilarious

Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars by Gervase Phinn is the most enchanting little book about the hilarious tales the author has come across in his years as school inspector for Yorkshire.

Told in a very down to earth, personable style, the reader sniggers and titters throughout. The children are straight faced as they inject humour into what they say. “Can you tell me how many sheep you can see in that field?” “Aye, I can… I can see all on ‘em.”

As well as being literal, the children sometimes mispronounce words. One young one refers to ‘Old Timers Disease’ instead of Alzheimer’s’. It certainly has a friendlier tone to that.

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We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

Apr8

Family Dynamics

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes is a powerful contemporary novel that explores the inner workings of a family.

Family comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Family can be messy, complicated and unpredictable. There are tensions – and ultimately there is much love.

Within the novel, we meet a family with very different dynamics and needs – a newly single mum of two; a stepdad/grandad; a blood-related dad/grandad; and a dog called Truant who barks a lot! Everyone has different needs. Jojo Moyes explores just what it means to be a family.

There is much grief. The Mum/Grandma died (before the book opened.) “It [grief] never stops… It just never stops.” “You’ll be okay, dear girl.” A character is drowning in grief but one day the sun will shine again. “We all have to move on! Doesn’t mean we think about her any less.” We must not feel guilty for living and beginning to smile again.

We follow a newly single mum as she negotiates the playground politics; dips her toe into the waters of dating; and tries to hold her family together. “You okay?” “Nobody ever asks her that question… Everyone tells her what she should be doing… but nobody ever asks her that simple question.” Sometimes we are so busy spinning plates that everyone, ourselves included, loses sight of us.

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