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Three Things About Elsie – Joanna Cannon

January 11, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

Three Things About Elsie - Joanna Cannon. Picture of the book cover.

The last few weeks over Christmas haven’t quite turned out how I planned or hoped. Christmas Day saw me start with Covid symptoms and they in turn led to a positive test result and all of us having to isolate for nearly two weeks as first I and then Bonn had full blown Covid. I’m not a week out of isolation, but still not right again. It’s given me plenty of time for reading as although my body has needed sleep, it hasn’t always come easily. Instead I’ve found sanctuary in books in the early hours, even if my feverish mind hasn’t always managed to follow everything going on!

Three Things About Elsie is a book that I bought on a bit of a whim after seeing my dear friend Ruth talk about it on Instagram maybe a couple of years ago. Since then it’s sat in my growing to read pile until I picked up up over Christmas and started to lose myself in it.

Set in a retirement complex it was hard at times to not get a tad confused with The Thursday Murder Club which was the last book I read. I kept expecting some of the characters from that to turn up and try to make sense of what was going on. They’d probably have done a good job! I did warn you that my feverish mind didn’t always keep on top of what was happening.

What I did love about Three Things About Elsie was the characters that Joanna Cannon had created. I really liked Florence and found the writing style made me feel great empathy for what she was going through as the story progressed. It certainly makes you think hard about growing older and what it must be like for the millions of older people that have spent so much of the last year in isolation. There was also something about “Handy Simon” that I also found myself associating strongly with, I just can’t place my finger on what it is!

As for the story itself, there were a couple of times where I found myself making connections and almost jumping ahead of myself, but on the whole I really liked its slightly rambling nature and how the different lives came together. It was sort of relaxing, but at the same time had enough drama in it to keep me interested. I particularly enjoyed the section of the book set in Whitby. Possibly because it’s somewhere I know reasonably well and visited only a couple of years ago, meaning I was able to picture everything quite clearly as I read.

Joanna Cannon isn’t an author that I was really familiar with before Three Things About Elsie, but I’ll certainly keep my eyes open for more of her books. A gentle read, yet also one which helps you really feel for the characters in it. Exactly what my frazzled brain needed during some long sleepless nights.

Disclaimer: This book was bought with my own money. Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you buy anything via them it will cost you no more than if you arrived at Amazon on your own, but I will receive a small commission. Any purchases you make are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Filed Under: Fiction

Ladybird Tuesday – Christmas Customs

December 1, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

I’m making a massive effort to get onto my 2021 resolutions early with a determination to get Ladybird Tuesday back on track. I’ve said that several times over the last few years, but life has that annoying habit of getting in the way. With a toddler who now occasionally lets me get my laptop out and doesn’t try to sit on it when I do, I’m a tad more hopeful that I was on previous attempts.

With today being the 1st of December I’m also determined to dig out some festive titles from my Ladybird collection. These might not be the oldest books in my collection, but they’re certainly appropriate for this time of year.

Ladybird Christmas Customs Front Cover

Christmas Series

I’m starting off with Christmas Customs, a title that was published in 1988 as part of Series 8818. This isn’t a series that I’m very familiar with, as it’s a little later than most of my collection, but a bit of research suggests that there were a total of six titles in the series. Looking at Nicole’s amazing master list of Ladybird books (here is you’re not familiar with it) it lists the following as being published between 1988 and 1991:

  • Christmas Customs
  • Christmas Songs
  • The Christmas Mouse
  • The Christmas Story
  • Toad’s Christmas Party
  • Well Loved Carols

Only three of these titles are listed on the series list on the back of my book – Christmas Customs, Christmas Songs and Well Loved Carols – and that seems to fit with those three being the first titles published in the series.

Ladybird Christmas Customs Series list

What is lovely about Christmas Customs is that the book actually goes somewhat further than the title suggests. As well as covering the Christmas Story and the Christian customs that many of us are familiar with, the book also looks back at the Saturnalia which was celebrated by the Romans who honoured Saturn. They were the first to decorate their homes with evergreens (to remind Saturn to send crops and plants for food the following spring) and this tradition continued to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. The book looks at why holly, ivy and mistletoe were chosen to be used to do this.

The influence of the Victorians

Christmas Trees came over to England from Germany with Prince Albert in 1846, and whilst I knew that I have to admit that I wasn’t totally familiar with the original story of Martin Luther’s tree.

Ladybird Christmas Customs Victorian Traditions

The Christmas Tree wasn’t the only Christmas Custom that was introduced in Victorian times. It was also when the first Christmas cards were sent, and the first Christmas Crackers pulled.

This morning my children opened the first door on their advent calendar, and I suppose it’s a bit disappointing that the book talks about these, but now where they came from. A quick search online suggests they were first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Christmas around the world

Christmas Customs can vary from country to country and as well as introducing us to Santa Claus the book also talks about St Nicholas (or Sinterklaas as he is known in The Netherlands), Christkindl (Germany’s Christ Child) and Befana who delivers gifts to Italian children on 6 January each year.

For many people food traditions are an important part of their Christmas celebrations. But why do we eat mince pies, turkey and Christmas puddings? It’s worth reading to find out.

What’s in a name?

Many children wonder why Boxing Day is called what it is. Some think of people donning boxing gloves for the day, whilst others think about all the boxes that their gifts came in the day before. The real reason for the name comes from medieval times, when alms boxes were placed at the back door of every church to collect money for the poor. These boxes were always opened on 26th December and so that is why the day became known as Boxing Day.

Ladybird Christmas Customs Pantomines

I’ve actually learnt quite a few new facts from reading this book. I wasn’t aware before that the word pantomime means “all mime” and that the first pantomimes were acted out entirely through dancing and mime. They’ve become such a huge Christmas tradition that I know many of us will miss this year in particular.

It can be so easy to be caught up in the commercialism of Christmas, but even if you’re not religious yourself, it’s lovely to try to understand some of the Christmas customs, why we do them and when they originated. Christmas Customs is actually a perfect way to start filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge.

About Ladybird Tuesday

Ladybird Tuesday is a regular feature here on Penny Reads, where I delve into my Ladybird book collection and choose a title to share with my readers. The weekly series originally started on my old blog, Being Mrs C, and this post originally appeared on there. I’m now in the process of moving all those posts over to Penny Reads and also adding titles that I have acquired since then. A list is currently being compiled here of all the titles I have in my collection.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Ladybird Books, Non Fiction, Vintage books

The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

November 23, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

Cover or The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I always approach any celebrity written book with a slight degree of caution. Just because someone is famous doesn’t mean they’re a good writer. Yes, this theory has been proven completely wrong with the likes of David Walliams and his children’s books. And I’m delighted to say that Richard Osman also disproves it in the adult crime fiction genre with The Thursday Murder Club.

I honestly can’t remember where I first read about The Thursday Murder Club, but as soon as I did I was determined to get myself a copy to read it. Just the setting of a group of pensioners in a posh retirement village getting together every week to investigate unsolved murders intrigued me enough to hook me into the story and want to find out more about them. Richard Osman has said in interviews that he was inspired by people that he met when visiting a real retirement complex and I’d love to hear what those particular pensioners think of the book.

The Thursday Murder Club is a bit like a modern day Agatha Christie story, with these pensioners suddenly turning their skills to a live local murder case. One where they knew the victim. But instead of curtain twitching Miss Marple you have Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. An unlikely quartet, who bring together a mix of backgrounds that give them the skills to succeed where the police struggle.

One of the things I love most about The Thursday Murder Club is actually what I struggled a little with in the first few chapters. The characters. Richard Osman has done an amazing job in creating some brilliant characters. As you might expect from their age, they all seem to have fascinating backstories and I want to know more about all of them – especially Elizabeth. But with there being so many (wonderful) characters in the retirement village I actually got a bit confused at the start of the book. So many new people to meet in quick succession had my head spinning a bit. Maybe that’s just me showing my age though!

Once I’d sorted out in my head who was who the book just started to fly. So many twists and turns, and so much more that I’m still keen to find out about our “amateur” detectives. I’ve heard there is a second book planned and I so hope that’s right as I can’t wait to learn more about everyone’s back story.

It’s also fair to say that I can no longer go past any sort of retirement village or block without wondering if there’s an equivalent club there. Part of me’s quite excited now by the prospect of retirement!

The Thursday Murder Club is available to buy online *here.

Disclaimer: Any links marked * are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links I receive a small commission. It will cost you no more than if you’d arrived at the site on your own. Any commission is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Filed Under: Crime Fiction

Finding Calm in Books and Reading

September 18, 2020 by penny 1 Comment

Today I am delighted to welcome my dear friend Becky Goddard-Hill to Penny Reads. My children and I loved Becky’s first book Create Your Own Happy and now she’s back with a follow up title – Create Your Own Calm – and today she is sharing her tips on finding calm in books and reading.

This is an extract from Create Your Own Calm – an activity book for 6-12 years olds written by Becky Goddard-Hill and published this week by Harper Collins.

It has contains 50 activities, all backed by science, to support kids with their big feelings and develop ways they can help themselves to feel calmer

Reading

‘Reading gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are’  Mason Cooley (Speech and language professor) 

Those of you who love to read  will already know how amazingly powerful a book can be. It can educate you, distract you, change your mood and transport you to another world.

For those of you who have not (yet) discovered the magic of reading here are some tips to help you fall in love with books

5  tips to help you fall in love with books

1. Try books you haven’t read before. So, if serious books make you groan, try a joke book or something more light-hearted. Maybe you like books about people your age, or maybe mysteries will hook you? As a general rule of thumb the kind of things you like to watch on TV or at the movies are probably going to be the kind of books you like to read.

2. Read regularly. Like anything at all that you try the more your practice the easier it gets Try 15 mins a day for a week and see how you go. 

3. Try reading a series – it’s a great way to get into reading and brilliant to see the same characters across several books. Here are a few you might like ….

  • The Worst Witch
  • Diary of a Wimpy kid
  • The Famous Five
  • The Magic Faraway Tree books
  • Beast Quest
  • Ruby Redfort
  • Murder Most Unladylike
  • Percy Jackson
  • Harry Potter

4. Not everyone finds reading easy or fun but pretty much everyone loves a story. Audiobooks are spoken books and they can be a lovely way to help you chill out.

5. Reading should be done somewhere where you can properly relax.  Maybe you can read under your duvet with a torch, in a warm, bubble bath, or lying on a blanket in the grass.. Make your reading space comfy and you will soon get lost in a book. 

The science bit 

Reading is a powerful way to relax. Even six minutes can be enough to reduce your stress levels by more than two thirds, according to new research at the University of Sussex. They believe this is because the distraction of entering a whole new world eases tension in both your heart and in your muscles. 

It works faster than other ways of de-stressing such as listening to music, going for a walk or having a warm drink.

Activity – Book Bingo 

Book bingo is a great way to read different books, maybe your school does this? The idea is to colour in ones you have done and when your book bingo is complete reward yourself with a prize (maybe a kitchen disco?) 

Create Your Own Calm Book Bingo

Create your own calm … by escaping into a story. 

If you want to find out more about this book and read some extract and activity ideas, check out the “blog tour” below!

Penny Reads – Encourage Reading Activity / Book Bingo 

Rainy Day Mum –  Stress Less Yoga for Kids

Much More for Less – Nature Crafts

Emma and 3  – talking about feelings  

Growing Family – Creating  a pizza garden

Thrifty Mum – Cloud Watching

Filed Under: Uncategorized

AD: Kindness Counts 123 – R. A. Strong and Ekaterine Trukhan

August 19, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

At 21 months old now my daughter is starting to recognise the concept of numbers and counting – although she might not always get the numbers in the right order yet! She has definitely started to understand that there are some books all about counting though, and she often picks them out and I see her jabbing items in the pictures with her finger, whilst counting out loud. Kindness Counts 123 is a beautiful example of such a counting book.

Kindness Counts 123

Counting down from 10 on each double page, Kindness Counts 123 is full of examples of how children can make the world a kinder place. The delightful illustrations show children helping each other and being compassionate towards how others might be feeling. Learning skills like kindness and empathy are so important and it is wonderful for children to see these as early as possible.

I’m also pleased to say that Kindness 123 is also a very diverse book in terms of the people featured in all the pictures throughout. There is also a lovely flow though them of the child who has received kindness in one picture, being the one who is performing an act of kindness in the next.

The acts of kindness may be relatively simple, but then the best acts of kindness often are. Taking cookies round to a new neighbour, sharing your toys or reading a bedtime story to your brothers. It really does show that you can demonstrate kindness with small acts. I’m guessing it also wasn’t deliberate, but the act of “three short words for Grandma and Grandpa so they don’t feel so far away” was also incredibly poignant during lockdown.

For my daughter though being pushed high on a swing had to be her favourite page. Every time we turn to that page there is utter delight in her voice as she shouts “swing, swing!”

Kindness Counts 123 is published by Highlights and has a RRP of £12.99. It is aimed at children aged 2 to 5 years. ISBN 9781684376520. It is available to buy online *here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Kindness Counts 123 for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. Any links marked * are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through them I receive a small a mount of commission whilst it costs you no more than if you had gone to the site yourself to make a purchase. Many thanks for all purchases that you make. It is very much appreciated.

Filed Under: Board Books

Wave Me Goodbye – Jacqueline Wilson

August 18, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

When then 9 year old Little Miss C started reading Jacqueline Wilson’s Wave Me Goodbye the plan was that I would read along with her. That didn’t exactly go to plan. Firstly, she has far more free time to read in than I do, and secondly, when I stated reading it I just found it all far too emotional! Let me explain.

The cover of Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson

Starting in September 1939, at the start of World War 2, Wave Me Goodbye tells the story of ten year old Shirley Louise Smith who is about to be evacuated out of London along with thousands of other children. But Shirley’s mother doesn’t initially tell her what is happening. Instead Shirley is told that they are going away on a “little holiday” together.

When I started reading the book it was just days after probably one of my lowest days of lockdown. The day on which my children had finished school before they closed, and on what ended up being my son’s last proper day at his Infant School. That morning I had been allowed in with my Governor Hat on to video their final class assembly for all the other parents. They had been learning about World War 2 and were supposed to be telling the rest of the school and their parents about everything they had learnt, including what it was like for children to be evacuated and to have had to carry gas masks around with them. At a time of such uncertainty and with everything being compared to war time I simply couldn’t cope with reading a book set at the time.

A few months later though and life has moved on a bit and doesn’t feel quite so scary and war like any more. I sat down and started again with Wave Me Goodbye and I’m so glad I did.

It’s a lovely story about what it must have been like for a young girl to leave her mother and everything she knew at home behind and be moved to a totally different part of the country.

When they arrive in the countryside, Shirley is one of the last children to billeted and ends up in a slightly strange situation with two women who for various reasons are set apart from many others in the village. She’s not there alone though. Two boys from her school, lanky Kevin and baby-faced Archie, are also placed at the mysterious Red House.

Over time Shirley starts to uncover some of the house and its occupants’ secrets. The book culminates in what I can only describe as a very grown up plot-twist that I certainly didn’t see coming at all.

For children learning about the Second World War and the evacuation of children to the countryside Wave Me Goodbye is a wonderful way of immersing them in what it must have been like to have been evacuated as a child. There are several points in the story that I can see would be perfect for initiating discussion with children about all the emotions surrounding evacuation, and for them to feel real empathy with the characters in it. The twist at the end leads me to say that it is probably better for slightly older primary school children though, rather than younger readers.

Wave Me Goodbye is available to buy online *here.

Disclaimer: Any links marked with a * are affiliate links. If you buy anything via them I receive a small commission, but it costs you no more than if you had gone there yourself. Thank you for any purchases that you do make.

Filed Under: Children's Books

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