Tag: Growing up

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Haggar-Holt

“This is Littlehaven. Nothing ever happens here. Until the spotlight hits my family.”

Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?

A beautifully accessible book about growing up, dealing with friendship issues and securing your place in the world, we really enjoyed spending time with Izzy and her family.

Sarah Haggar-Holt writes sensitively and positively about Danielle and her family's response to her transition but the focus is very much on Izzy and her realisation that parents are fallible and not all-powerful, all-knowing beings. We follow her as she finds her way through secondary school, dealing with all the anxieties of facing friendship issues, learning who you are and securing your place in your world.

Engaging characters and an honest insight into how it feels for the family of someone transitioning, this deserves a place in every key stage 2 library.

You can get your copy here.

The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan and Ben Mantle

Believing is just the beginning . . .

When Arthur and Rose were little, they were heroes in the Land of Roar, an imaginary world that they found by climbing through the folding bed in their grandad’s attic.

Roar was filled with things they loved – dragons, mermaids, ninja wizards and adventure – as well as things that scared them (including a very creepy scarecrow. . .)

Now the twins are eleven, Roar is just a memory. But when they help Grandad clean out the attic, Arthur is horrified as Grandad is pulled into the folding bed and vanishes. Is he playing a joke? Or is Roar . . . real?

We love this stunner of a book. Beautifully illustrated by Ben Mantle and with a cover that would be coveted by the most fussy of dragons, The Land of Roar looks as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside.

The Land of Roar is a story with a heart. Filled with dementor-style darkness, beautifully balanced with humour and brilliantly imagined gender-stereotype-flipping characters, it perfectly captures the imagination and play of children and explores what happens to your lands of make-believe when you begin to grow up. It celebrates embracing play and imagination and not growing up too soon.

All the ingredients for the perfect reading for pleasure fantasy adventure are here; ninja wizards, mermaid witches, a band of fierce lost girls, dragons and of course, a glittering sprinkle of magic. We lost ourselves entirely in The Land of Roar

Let your walls down and allow magic in. Get your copy here.

Puberty Books – a parent’s guide

The concept of discussing the changes and worries of puberty with our children can be overwhelming. What better to support you and your children through this emotional time than a tried-and-tested book?

We recommend Usborne’s What’s Happening To Me? series for reliable, kid-friendly (and parent-friendly) advice and information. You can get 10% off these fab books by using code puberty10 during checkout.

These books are contemporary and immensely accessible. Filled with all the information young people will need to know and no-nonsense answers to all their burning questions, this series provides an excellent springboard for discussion. It doesn’t talk down to children or try to make light of the changes they will be going through. Instead it provides clear facts and information, talks about how they may be feeling and gives supportive advice about staying healthy and positive.

Don’t be put off by the gendered covers. These are a far more inclusive than the pink and blue suggests.

You can get your copy in our online shop.

About the books:

A sensitive, detailed and informative guide to puberty, this book will prove invaluable for both children and their parents alike, tackling key subjects from the physical changes that occur at this time to emotional upheaval this can cause.

Bright, original colour illustrations and diagrams reveal everything young people need to know about the changes they will experience as they approach puberty.

The stunning artwork is accompanied by witty, yet clear and informative factual text that helps to demystify this often confusing and tricky subject.

Approved by a team of top-notch consultants, this remarkable and reassuring book is entertaining, approachable and authoritative.