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Shuggie Bain – Douglas Stuart

November 8, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

I’m not normally a reader who pays much attention to prize winners, but when several members of my knitting group separately told me about how Shuggie Bain was a must read title, it quickly made its way on to my to read list.

Since Covid hit I’ve generally been reading more and more as a form of escapism. There are times when you just want to disappear into a book, and whilst Shuggie Bain is the sort of book that you can lose yourself in, it’s also not the sort of book you want to lose yourself in. It is a disturbing tale of young Shuggie and his mother Agnes who live in 1980s Glasgow. Agnes’ way of coping with everything that life throws (and it throws a lot in her direction) at her is drink. Yet, as Agnes falls deeper and deeper into drink her children (Shuggie has an older brother and sister) try to save her without much success. As Shuggie ends up saying goodbye to his siblings as they accept their mother will never change, he is determined not to give up hope.

Shuggie’s love for his mother and his dedication to her is utterly heartbreaking. There were several points in the book when I just wanted to jump in the car and drive up to Scotland to help Agnes and her son. The idea that the book reflects real life for some children makes it even more tragic. The only omission from the plot was social services. With modern safeguarding practices you would sincerely hope that they would have been alerted to the situation through Shuggie’s absences from school, but back in the 1980s processes admittedly were not as robust as they are today.

I would challenge anyone who has ever simply said that a parent should “stop drinking” to read Shuggie Bain and then say the same again. Every family and every individual is different, but what this book does is make it crystal clear just how complicated situations can be and also how easy downfall into drink can be. The impact of external factors can be huge, even if the links are not obvious.

I don’t think “enjoyed” is the right word to use when referring to a book that is frankly, uncomfortable and heartbreakingly tragic, but Shuggie Bain is a book that I’m glad I read. It’s a good reminder and insight into a life that might not be like your own, but is just as important. A life that is complicated and full of challenges. One that shows what some children have to deal with from a very young age.

Child poverty has scared me for a long time, and Covid and more recent pressures of lorry driver shortages, rising gas prices and threats of food shortages are only going to make the situation more difficult. We owe it to children like Shuggie to understand what their lives are like and speak up for them. They not only need support in their communities, but also people who represent and campaign for them at the highest levels. Let’s not let them down.

A painful read, but also a must read.

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is available to buy online here.

Filed Under: Fiction

The Windsor Knot – S. J. Bennett

October 4, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

As I stood in the local library, waiting for the kids to finally choose which books and audio books were coming home with us, the red cover of The Windsor knot caught my attention from a display stand. I’m not sure where I’d heard about this book, but I immediately knew the basic premise – the Queen turns amateur detective.

It’s a simple idea, but also one that weirdly seems highly likely. HM The Queen has always struck me as having an eye for detail and not missing anything that is going on around her and so I can actually quite believe that she would be very capable of solving a crime if called up on to do so.

I’m a bit of a fan of slightly comedic fiction about The Queen, with one of my favourite books of all time being Sue Townsend’s The Queen and I. After reading that and Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader The Windsor knot seemed a natural progression. And for anyone wondering I like did – SJ Bennett and Alan Bennett don’t appear to be related!

The Windsor Knot is a lovely light read. A sort of modern day Agatha Christie, with the Queen taking over Miss Marple’s role. Her assistant Private Secretary Rozie is also a fantastic character that I really enjoyed meeting in the book.

As someone who is a bit behind the curve and only just working my way through series 2 of The Crown on Netflix my brain kept flipping between the younger Queen in that and the Queen as she would have been in 2016 when The Windsor Knot was set.

It was interesting seeing some the spy theories in the book, especially surrounding the Russians, as they fit in really well with Vigil which I have just finished watching on BBC iPlayer. It’s strange how everything can sort of fit together like that.

Amazon’s listing for The Windsor knot talks about it being the perfect read for people who also enjoyed Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and I would definitely agree with that. It sort of fits into a modern “cosy crime” genre.

The Windsor Knot is available to buy online here. RRP £8.99, but at the time of writing Amazon appear to be selling it in paperback fro just £2.

Disclaimer: All books mentioned in this post are ones that I have bought myself or borrowed from the local library. Some links are affiliate links. If you happen to buy anything having clicked on one of them I receive a small commission, but it will cost you no more than normal. Thank you for any purchases that you make. All are very much appreciated.

Filed Under: Crime Fiction, Fiction

AD: A Year of Nature Craft and Play

September 29, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

Out this week A Year of Nature Craft and Play is a brand-new activity book written by Becky Goddard-Hill and Catherine Hughes and published by Harper Collins.

It contains over 50 seasonal crafts, gardening projects, games, art and science activities for children aged 7+ and their families that are fun and eco-friendly.

This review is part of their blogging book tour to celebrate the of launch A Year of Nature Craft and Play.

You would pretty much have to have been living under a rock for the last couple of years not to have had a point where you stood outdoors, whether that be in your garden, on the street, on a local footpath or in the middle of the moors, taken a deep breath and gave thanks for nature and fresh air. It’s been a pretty horrific 18 months for so many of us and the signs are that lockdowns have made us stop and appreciate what we have around us.

Becky Goddard-Hill’s previous books have spoken about paying attention to the small things in nature and taking time be mindful and appreciate them, and she has now joined forces with fellow blogger Catherine Hughes to take this to the next level with their fantastic new book; A Year of Nature Craft and Play.

With an activity for every week of the year, A Year of Nature Craft and Play is packed with crafts, gardening, games, art and science activities for all four seasons. For each week you are provided with a list of what you need, clear instructions, useful diagrams and inspiring, colourful photographs.

Cloud Watching

With the weather being so all over the place at the moment we took at look at some of the summer and autumn activities as we reviewed the book. A sunny day at a local community event gave me and the youngest the perfect opportunity to do a spot of cloud watching whilst a football game was going on. Lying on a picnic blanket a the side of the pitch we stared up at the clouds and she took great delight in spotting a dinosaur, CBeebies’ Bing and a “scary monster” in the sky. Such a simple way to pass the time, but one that sparked so much creativity and laughter as we saw different things floating above us.

Making a Journey Stick

The typical British weather worked against us a bit in our attempts to create a journey stick as an autumn activity. A shame as I had visions of it being such a photogenic activity.

Used by Native Americans and Aboriginal people to record a journey this is such a simple way for a child to pick up “treasures” along a way and use them to remember their journey. They can be made using either a stick (as the name suggests) and string, or a piece of cardboard and double sided sticky tape. I thought the latter might be easier for a two year old, but I can confirm that cardboard becomes really soggy if it starts raining on your journey and your toddler tries to “stick the rain on the stick”. My only tip for making your own journey stick is to choose a dry day on which to do a cardboard one! Once the rain abates we’ll be heading out to try this one again.

Our planned year of nature craft and play

I’m determined that now the older kids are back in school, the youngest and I need to get into more of a rhythm with our days rather than just frittering them away with chores and kids’ tv. What better way to establish a rhythm than by following the rhythm and seasons of the year? I’ve made a list of the autumn activities in the book and stuck it up on the kitchen cabinet so we can quickly pick something before heading out once a week for an outdoor adventure. I’m even going to try to be organised and share what we get up to over on Penny Blogs. Fingers crossed we find our rhythm and that the weather cooperates.

A Year of Nature Craft and Play – Book Details

A Year of Nature Craft and Play by Becky Goddard-Hill and Catherine Hughes is published by Harper Collins and is available to buy online here, RRP £12.99.

Nature Craft and Play Book Tour

If you would like to visit the other Nature Craft and Play Book Tour bloggers you will find them here 

1st October –  www.emmaand3.com

2nd October –  www.whattheredheadsaid.com

3rd October –  www.mummymummymum.com

4th October – www.whatkatysaid.com

5th October –  www.monkeyandmouse.co.uk

6th October – www.wemadethislife.com

7th October – www.thriftymum.com

8th October – www.rainydaymum.co.uk

9th October – www.goingonanadventure.co.uk

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of A Year of Nature Craft and Play for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy anything through these links it costs you no more than if you had arrived at Amazon on your own, but I received a small commission. Thank you for any purchases that you do make.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Craft Books, Non Fiction

Ladybird Tuesday: Talkabout Box Set

May 25, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

I don’t normally feature Ladybird books from the same series back to back here on Ladybird Tuesday, but I’ve got an excuse this week. I’m desperate to share with you something that I found whilst taking a week off to finally go and visit my mum for the first time in what feels like forever.

We headed out with my daughter and nephew to the National Trust’s Clumber Park and whilst there I was delighted to see that their secondhand bookshop was open again. I was even more delighted to find this one one of the shelves in the children’s section – a box set of books from the Talkabout series.

Ladybird Talkabout Box Set

Now I have to admit that I don’t know a huge amount about the box set, or even when it was published. The box itself is very much lacking on details. There is a list on one side of the books it contains – more on that in a moment – but there is no date anywhere, and not even a copyright notice of any kind.

Ladybird Talkabout Box Set

According to the box it should contain the following books from the Talkabout series: animals, home, the beach, shopping, the park, gardens, starting school and bedtime. The version I have is missing animal sand starting school, and instead contains baby and holidays. Also, home has a glossy cover, yet all the other titles have matt covers.

Ladybird Talkabout Box Set

I have no idea is it’s just a case of different books being put in the box before it made its way to the secondhand shop, or if maybe different titles were in there from the start. Slightly weirdly, all the books in the box are individually priced and looking at the back covers I don’t think they were all published at the same time. Another sign that I don’t have the original books in my box? Or a sign that these boxes were thrown together quickly, possibly to get stock moving before a new version of the walkabout books was released? I’m yet to find a definitive answer, but will keep digging to try and get one.

In the meantime I’m just going to sit here and appreciate the gorgeous artwork on the box itself. What looks like an incredibly detailed collage. Very similar to what featured on the covers of the individual talkabout books, but with more texture.

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, Vintage books

Ladybird Tuesday – Talkabout holidays

May 4, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

I’m pretty sure many of us are talking about holidays, or the prospects of holidays, right now. It seems like a lifetime ago that we could just plan a trip and that it was likely to actually go ahead. With the possible relaxing further of travel restrictions in a few weeks it seemed the perfect time to feature Talkabout holidays from Ladybird series 735.

Ladybird Talkabout holidays

The Talkabout books were originally released in the 1970s and were a perfect way of introducing young children to books. Prompts on each page to talk to children about, and gorgeous illustrations – many by famous Ladybird regular artist Martin Aitchison.

Ladybird Talkabout holidays

Released in 1977 Talkabout holidays covers pretty much everything there is to discuss on the series of holidays. Well, holidays as they were in the 1970s. Things start with choosing where to go and booking the trip. Lots of holiday brochures and a trip to the travel agent rather than just clicking on a website as we might today.

Ladybird Talkabout holidays

The book does mainly focus on the sorts of things you might get up to on a holiday in the UK, but there is also a gorgeous retro picture of the interior of an aeroplane and a page where you can discuss a French street scene.

Ladybird Talkabout holidays

The book also has a couple of things in it that I have to admit to not fully following. Like the picture story of leaving a radio on the car roof as you drive off. Was leaving things on the roof a common part of 1970s holidays?

As well as pages where you’re asked retell a story based on pictures, the book also features a couple of maze style puzzle pages too. It really isn’t a quick bedtime read, but instead a book to really be lingered over and discussed.

Ladybird Talkabout holidays

From what I’ve read over on Ladybird Fly Away Home (scroll down to near the end of the article), Ladybird reissued many of the titles in this series in the 1980s, but with totally different artwork, that was possibly cheaper to reproduce. Such a shame as I think it is the illustrations that make this title so particularly gorgeous.

In the introduction pages inside the front cover of the book it talks about how the books have been planned with “qualified nursery school advisors” and it’s clear just how useful these books are for helping to engage young children in conversation. Inside the back pages are ideas for extending the use of the books and everything written in there is still very valid today. For many first time parents in particular, knowing how best to share a book like this with a child isn’t something that necessarily comes naturally. Giving parents the tools to help their children develop a love of books is so valuable and done so perfectly here. I’ve heard some people say that they don’t really like the Talkabout series of books, but more fool them!

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

Ladybird Tuesday: The Public Services – Water Supply

April 20, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

In The Nanny State Made Me, Stuart Maconie talks about how frankly stupid it is that something as basic as water is no longer a public service. And how spot on he is. It’s not as if the companies have any competition in the sector and also having a clean and safe water supply is a basic need to everyone.

Ladybird The Water Supply

Way, way back in the early days of Ladybird Tuesday I dipped into series 606E, The Public Services, looking at Electricity. I even commented at the times about how the whole concept of Electricity, Gas and Water being public services was vintage in itself. Years on, it’s time to revisit the series again, but this time we’ve moved on to the Water Supply.

I still smile to see this book labelled as being “A Ladybird ‘Easy-Reading’ Book”, but then when I consider some of the slightly obscure titles that my eldest two have brought home as school reading books maybe it isn’t as strange as I used to think. Kids do seem to have an interest in some of what us adults might class as mundane, or even geeky, and I think it fair to say that books on the Public Services fall into that category. Luckily I think I, and several of my friends fall into that geeky category.

Ladybird The Water Supply

Water Supply starts off with what has to be one of the most obvious things here in the UK – the fact that it rains rather a lot and hence we have a lot of water. It then goes on to explain about what a well is. Again, it seems like the obvious, but just a few months ago I honestly met someone who claimed never to have seen a well before and didn’t really believe that they exist. What the…?

The rather sweeping statement that “some large cities have made use of all the water that is nearby” is where this particular Ladybird books heads towards being being sexist in the way that so many of their books did. It goes on to tell us that the men at the water department must find more water. Heaven forbid that they might have a woman on their team!

Ladybird The Water Supply

Dams and reservoirs are explained, along with some helpful statements like “if a valley with houses in it has to be flooded, the people living in them must move”. You don’t say? Or maybe I’m just being a tad cynical in my old age…

Ladybird The Water Supply

In fairness though the book goes on to explain how the water is then taken from the reservoirs, treated to make it safe into drinking water, and taken to people’s houses. The book then looks at all things domestic, and covers much of the same ground as the later title Waterin the Ladybird Leaders series. They don’t leave that sexism behind though as there’s still lots of talk about the “men from the water board” having various jobs to do. Let’s just hope the modern day equivalent book would be a bit more balanced from an equality point of view.

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: Ladybird Books, Non Fiction

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