This one is a cracker. It tells the story of a 1000 year old man, trapped in the body of an 11 year boy. It’s brilliantly written from his perspective, as well as the perspective of a boy who he meets in modern day England, Aiden.
When tragedy befalls Alfie, he is forced to seek help from his new friends, Aiden and Roxy, while trying to keep his true age a secret and overcome some increasingly dangerous and urgent challenges.
This book is rich in historical references, perfect for the primary classroom. Although, that said, Ross Welford does make it clear that he made most of them up. It also begs the question, would you want to live forever? The answer of the children may change after reading this book.
Tom, age 10, says:“I really enjoyed The 1000 Year Old Boy because, unlike other books, it is told from two different points of view. The first boy, who the book is about, is called Alfie (or Alve) and, thanks to the livperler, he doesn’t age. This means he’s 1000 years old, but looks like an 11 year old. The other perspective is from Aiden, the boy in modern times who makes friends with Alfie. I like the way it changes from one view to other to tell the same story from different angles. It’s quite an exciting story, especially the build up to the climax. I’m not sure if I’d like to live for 1000 years, because for Alife, it was pretty tough. I might want to, to see what happens in the future.”
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Lucas is alone. His mum has died and his dad is always very busy and doesn’t really seem to understand his son. It’s the summer holidays and the few friends Lucas does have all have plans that leave him alone and bored. Much to his annoyance, Lucas’s dad signs him up for a drama club that runs through the holiday. He’s knows he’s going to hate it, and true enough, he does. However, for one reason or another, he goes back. Slowly but surely he begins to feel more comfortable there and begins to fit in and find his place.
It took me a while to get into this book. Howe writes from Lucas’s perspective and when he becomes overwhelmed with emotions (usually towards the ends of the chapters) his internal monologue becomes a bit tricky to follow – this may just be a me-thing. As the narrative developed we became more invested in the story and Lucas also gained more control over his emotions.
Overall, I enjoyed the book because of the journey Lucas went on and the people he met. Although many of the adults have their faults, there are no lazy clichés here and all of the characters are well rounded and developed. It’s a pretty heart-warming story and a useful gateway into discussions around mental health with children.
Bella, age 7, says:“I liked the story because it has lots of fun things in it and I think it’s really good. I like the bit where they put all the wishes in the well, I’d like to do that and try and make my wishes come true. It was good in the café when he played the piano to people for the first time and Avalon heard him. It was great at the end that his dad wasn’t mad at him, but he was proud.”
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There are two elephants in the room with this particular book that I should address before really getting into it.
Firstly, I know the author. Alex and I work together on Taskmaster Education. This has no doubt (consciously or otherwise) influenced how I feel about the book and I probably won’t be too cutting about it, although he does encourage me to, ‘be Frank’. I look forward to the day that he remembers my actual name.
The other thing is the, “Oh, great another celebrity having a go a writing a children’s book, just what we needed” issue. The market is already pretty saturated with this happening, and it doesn’t always lead to the best storytelling and can certainly reduce opportunities and exposure for children’s authors who don’t already have a sizeable platform but do have well-written, innovative, creative, important stories to tell.
This one is a little different though. For a start, it doesn’t have lazy racial tropes and that’s always a very good thing. Also, Alex Horne can write. This is his fourth book (if you don’t count all of the Taskmaster ones – which you really could) and the first 2 were written long before he enjoyed the profile afforded to him by the success of Taskmaster. This though, is his first foray into children’s fiction.(He has written a non-fiction book with his band which is great for teaching children about music).
THE ACTUAL REVIEW
The Last Pebble is set in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, “one of the only towns with a surname”, and centres around a boy called Trader and his family. His grandmother is in a care home and his grandfather spends much of his time scouring the beach looking for interesting things – particularly precious stones. One day, whilst on the beach with his grandad, Trader spots a stone that catches his eye. He picks it up, instantly knowing that’s it’s a significant find, and then shows his grandad who confirms that he has something special. Just how special the pebble is isn’t initially obvious to the reader, but as the mystery unravels and the secrets of the stone are revealed, so the story takes shape and Trader’s life is changed forever.
The Last Pebble is a heart-warming story with a few mysterious strands that tread together nicely at the end. This meant that it led to much discussion whist reading about where the narrative might be going, what might happen to the characters and what certain clues meant. As well as a plot that twists and turns its way to a pleasing conclusion there is also good bit of geology and themes such as bullying, self-esteem, family and friendship and even a bit of morality.
This book would work as a class read in KS2, especially if they are studying ‘Rocks’ as their science topic. There are plenty of opportunities to get creative with it as well: using it as a writing stimulus (message in a bottle or the journey of the pebble to name but two); or in art lessons, practising shading and sketching the different qualities of the different stones or a spot of reverse graffiti.
We loved that it was set in Bognor because we live nearby, but really it should encourage all of us to look at the treasures all around us with fresh eyes and inspiration. You never know what gifts are hiding in plain sight.
The character of Charlotte is particularly likeable and brilliant. She is also a keen artist and bus enthusiast. Due to this love of buses, I’m sure she would love visiting the Amberley Museum, which is just up the road from Bognor. I was a little disappointed that it never got a mention but maybe that’s one for the sequel. We might have a while to wait though, as the book took 7 years to write.
In his acknowledgements, Alex notes, ‘I’m truly grateful to everyone at Walker for supporting yet another comedian who thinks they’ve got a book in them.’ On this evidence, that support was well placed and that comedian was correct.
Tom, age 12, says: “I’ve enjoyed how the character’s personalities are really different but they fit together well like a jigsaw. I really enjoyed that there was a mystery about the pebble because it’s fun to try and work it out as we read the story. My favourite character is probably Charlotte because she always has a plan. My favourite part of the book is when trader first discovers the pebble because it sets the story up well. I’d recommend this book for 8-12 year olds who like mysterious, adventurous books.”
Bella, age 10, says: “My favourite character was Charlotte because she’s very clever and she likes art. I like the book because it’s funny, like when Trader said ‘I opened my window and stuck my nose out. I couldn’t smell rain. I couldn’t feel rain. I opened my mouth – I couldn’t taste rain. It wasn’t raining!’. I like this sort of silly humour.”
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What’s for Dinner Mr Gum? is the 6th in the series by Andy Stanton and it’s full of the usual nonsense, adventure and wordplay. This one includes and random chapter from a different book (funny), a missing chapter that you can go online to find (not so funny) and a bonus story at the end about what Jake the dog had been up to the whole time and why he wasn’t in the story.
As usual the story centres around something awful that Mr Gum and Billy William are up to and how Polly and her friends save the day. This time though, Mr Gum and Billy are at way with each other and Polly’s gang have to find a way to intervene and bring peace back to Lamonic Bibber.
As ever, love saves the day, and love comes in the form of Thora Gruntwinkle. The pin-up butcher from Olde London Town. Although, the path to true love didn’t quite go as the heroes had planned, we still ended up with a positive resolution.
Tom, age 11, says: “I really liked the book and my favourite bit was when Friday said, ‘cropper in the flopper.’ I’m not sure why, but it did make me laugh a lot. The Mr Flamingo chapter that was accidentally printed in the book by mistake was also very funny.”
Bella, age 9, says: “My favourite character was Philip the Horror, CHATTER CHATTER CHEE!”
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Michael Morpurgo is one of this country’s most famous, respected and prolific authors and Kensuke’s Kingdom is one of his most well-known books that regularly features on junior school reading lists.
It’s an epic adventure of a boy (Michael) and his dog (Stella Artois) who wash up on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean following an accident on the boat he was sailing with his parents.
It’s a fantastic premise for a story and this island setting has been seen many times before in some of the greatest novels ever written – Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, even Peter Pan. The reader gets to image how they would survive (and, if indeed, they think they might) in such a place with none of the comforts of modern life and without the support of their family.
If you are doing an Explorers and Survivors topic in KS2, it a great story to contrast with a non-fiction book, such as Ernest Shackleton’s adventures in the Antarctic. It’s also not too long, which is always helpful for a class text.
Tom, age 11, says: “I really like the book because it was a fun, exciting adventure. I think it might be fun to be on a deserted island because I quite like being on my own. Then again, I’m not sure how I’d get food and water. I’d have to go and scavenge around for food and I wouldn’t know where to look. It would probably just hurt my legs a lot and I wouldn’t like that.
I think the saddest part of the story was when Michael left the island. I understand why he had to go and be with his family, but it must have been hard to leave Kensuke.
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Full disclosure, the boy and I are both massive Arsenal fans so we were probably always going to feel favourably about a book co-written by Ian Wright. I idolised Wrighty when he played for Arsenal in the 90s but I tried not to let that inform my opinions of the book too much.
The story centres around Jerome Jackson, a 13-year-old boy with an exceptional talent for football and a dream to make it to the very top. Jerome doesn’t have the easiest life and is struggling to get noticed for the right reasons until a chance encounter with Ian Wright sets him on a path to future stardom. It’s not all plain sailing for Jerome, but his mum, Wrighty and other members of his community are there to support him when he needs it most.
As a kids book about football it’s very good. The action described on the on the pitch is exciting and believable and the coaching advise that Jerome (the main character) is given is insightful and genuinely useful. Despite his faults, the reader really wants Jerome to do well as he progresses along his footballing journey.
However, Striking Out is much more that just a kids book about football. The story also addresses some substantial issues in a child-friendly way that opens the door for important conversations at home or at school. Domestic violence, racism, bereavement and peer pressure are among that issues raised in Striking Out which led some great conversations with my son.
Music also plays a key role in the book. Ian’s frequent cameos in the story often come with a musical recommendation for Jerome and the reader. Personally I’ve recently discover the music of Kirk Franklin and I Smile has become a singing assembly song, thanks to this book.
Tom, age 10, says:“This is different to other books I’ve read because it’s about a boy who has a very different life to me and about how hard it is for him. It’s interesting because it’s about Jerome’s journey to become a footballer and how he’s seen by scouts and seen as having potential. I like the way they describe the football in particular. I liked it when Ian first saw Jerome score a goal at Hackney Marshes and another favourite part was when he got accepted into St Joseph’s.”
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Sid and her best friend, Zen, love to play spooky games in the graveyard of their small, coastal village. One stormy night Sid inadvertently frees a 300 year old pirate ghost from a mysterious Halfway House. The story that unfolds is how Sid and Zen help Captain Bones and his crew find their treasure so they can cross over to the other side.
Parallels to McLachlan’s previous series, The Land of Roar, were clear to me. Both stories are exciting adventures with unpredictable twists and turns along the way. Sid reminds me of Arthur, as both were the unassuming heroes of their stories who displayed bravery they probably didn’t really feel they would have been capable of beforehand. Zen reminded me of Win, the carefree loyal sidekick. But above all, McLachlan writes a great baddie. In both series the villains are revealed slowly over the book and the suggestion of them alone, strikes fear into the band of characters working against them.
Tom, age 10, says:“I like Jenny McLachlan books because they always have a good mystery. This time I liked the theme of mystery and history. My favourite character is Zen because he’s funny and silly and doesn’t really care what people think about him. I really liked Elizabeth too, because she’s funny.
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This book came highly recommended by respected colleagues as well as my wife and daughter who read it a while ago and loved it.
The Girl of Ink and Stars is an adventure book about a girl called Isabella who lives in a fictional (but familiar) world on the Isle of Joya.
When her friend disappears, she is determined to be part of the team who saves her, so much so that she cuts off her long hair and pretends to be boy. With the help of an ancient map and the knowledge of the stars, taught to her by her father, Isabella navigates a part of the island that no-one has been to for a long time, called the Forgotten Territories. As if this journey wasn’t harrowing enough for her, when she finally does find her friend, Lupe, this turns out to only be the beginning of the journey as the whole story takes several more unexpected twists.
This epic adventure story is brilliantly written, powerfully moving and quite dark in places, but, in truth, we never really got that into it. It wasn’t always easy to imagine where they were or keep track of what was actually happening. In fairness, we read it mostly in a stop/start fashion, so somewhat lost the flow, but as I said earlier, my wife and daughter adored it, some I’m sure other will too.
Tom, age 11, says: “I liked the adventure concept of it and that it was set on a made up island.”
I nearly didn’t write this post because there isn’t really anything that hasn’t been said about this book, so I’ll keep it brief.
Holes is a classic. Far more significant people than me have loved and recommended Holes, not least Malorie Blackman (on the cover) and Phil Earle (who wrote the forward for this edition). However, for what it’s worth, I am offering my – admittedly, very late to the party – thoughts.
If it’s possible to have a ‘hot take’ on such a widely adored book, mine is this…it reminds me of Catch-22. Both deal with dark subject matter with great humour. Both jump forwards and backwards in the timeline of their stories. Both are exceptional examples of the written word and are to be considered classic works of literary art.
Holes is magnificent and is well worth a read, regardless of your age. As mentioned in the forward by Phil Earle, ‘It tackles themes so meaty that Shakespeare would be jealous: crime, punishment, curses, revenge, retribution, redemption…the list could go on and on.’
If you fancy checking out some other books written for Key Stage 2 children (but enjoyed by all) check out the page linked below.
The Horne Section are a comedy band led by the comedian Alex Horne. While their songs are funny, their music is also technically very good and that balance carries on in this book. Make Some Noise is written with an accessible, humorous tone but the content is also very informative, well researched and a perfect introduction to the world of music for children of about 7+.
Make Some Noise tells the young readers all they need to know (and more) as they begin their musical journey of discovery. Instruments, notation, genre and musical terms are all explained in (child-friendly) detail to give the reader a foundation in music history and theory before setting them off to become musicians and songwriters themselves.
The chapter about genres was a particular favourite for us. The history of many musical genres are explain and then a recommend playlist is included at the end of each section. We asked our smart speaker to play each piece of music and then talked about it. My 11-year-old probably won’t be returning to Thomas Tallis’ ‘Spem in Alium’, which he described as ‘creepy’, but it was a great way for him to explore and discover a great range of music and artists.
I would recommend Make Some Noise to primary school music teachers or teachers who want to improve their subject knowledge, it’s genuinely useful. Last week I was talking to a colleague about ‘pitch’ and I found the best way to explain it to her was sharing a couple of pages from this book so she could explain it simply to her class.
As well as being packed with genuinely useful and interest musical content there are also many laughs to be had. Most of the chapters end with a Taskmaster style task and all of the chapters contain lies that the reader has to look out for along the way. These are revealed at the end of each chapter and our favourites were about the dangers of playing a harp in Wales and finding out about the weasel and the woodpecker. There is also a section about farting musically, so it’s pretty highbrow stuff at times.
This book is great for all of the aspiring young musicians in your life. So if you have a young musician in your life, enhance their musical life with a copy of Make Some Noise.
Tom, age 11, says: “I enjoyed the tasks at the end of every chapter although some were silly and a bit hard. I still haven’t managed to shout ‘MUSIC’ every time I hear music for a whole day. In every chapter there are a few silly lies which are funny, you have to guess what the lies are and on the last page of each chapter you get to find out if you were right.”
Bella, age 8, says: “The Horne Section do a very funny song about peas and I love it.”
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