February Author of the Month

Jimmy Kelly is obese, bullied at school, over protected by his mum and indulged by his aunt, yet he longs to be just like any other teenager. His one talent is cooking, but he doesn’t have the confidence to let anyone know. Then he learns to swim, despite family opposition, and discovers he is a natural. This talent, and the fact that he has fallen in love for the first time completely transforms Jimmy. It allows him to defeat his bullies and also uncovers a family secret which reveals who Jimmy’s real parents are.

This is a sometimes painful account of what life must be like as an obese teenager. It is very well written, characters are all well drawn and the portrayal of Jimmy falling in love for the first time is beautifully done. I’m not sure that his physical transformation in such a short time is entirely credible, but what matters is Jimmy’s character and determination and you just will him to overcome his problems. A real feel good book.

Danny is going through a rough patch. His parents have split up, he is at the mercy of Jakey and his gang and no longer sees his best mate Richard. 
As young children, Danny and Richard were very close to Danny’s granddad who was a POW working on the Burma railroad during WW2.  Disgusted at how Danny appears to be throwing his life away, in particular his talent at art, his granddad records his wartime experiences and entrusts the tape to Richard until Danny is ready to hear it.  The tape proves to be the kick start Danny needs to get his life back on track.

The novel alternates between accounts of Danny’s life and his grandad’s harrowing wartime experiences, highlighting the contrast between Danny’s self inflicted agonies and his grandad’s dignified suffering. As well as highlighting the horrors endured by those working on the Burma railroad, it shows how the psychological effects of such trauma can affect subsequent generations. 

Nicky can’t believe her luck when Isabella and the “in” crowd at school suddenly befriend her, even if it is only because Isabella fancies Nicky’s brother Luke. When Luke sees Isabella for what she really is and ends the relationship, Isabella cools off towards Nicky. Nicky is desperate to win back Isabella’s friendship and will do anything to impress her. She starts to pick on Lizzie, a new girl and a loner. Following a series of mishaps involving Isabella and her friends, Nicky convinces them that Lizzie is a witch and has hexed them. They lure Lizzie to a “witch drowning” on Hallowe’en night, with unexpected consequences.

This is a fast paced, novel with a clever twist at the end. It is basically a story of needing to belong which most teenagers will identify with, and the depths that some people will plunge to achieve this.  

This book is written in conjunction with Kevin Brooks and is published by Barrington Stoke, a publisher specialising in books for young readers with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

Sally Mack and Keith Scully are both fed up with life. Fate intervenes and they both end up in possession of someone else’s rucksack. Each rucksack contains a VIP backstage pass for the massive Rock Out festival. They take on the identity of the original rucksack owners and when they meet at the festival Sally is pretending to be a famous stylist and Keith the lead singer in a rock band. They find they really like each other, but how long can they keep up the pretence of being someone else……and will they still feel the same when they discover that the other one is not who they appear to be?