The Way Back Home: Oliver Jeffers

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Grab your tissues, because you're seriously going to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride with this book. I found this particularly difficult to read because it hit very very close to home with the character of the Granny. I got half way and I just didn't think I could read anymore because it was getting too personal, but I ploughed through it and I'm really glad that I did. This collection fell flat for me. I am reminded of the way I felt about Amanda Lovelace's new work as well. Early Peppernell's poetry and prose was lush, enticing, and enjoyable. This collection felt stale, overdone, and repetitive. Now, I will not rule out the fact that maybe I have outgrown this author...but when I was thumbing through some of her pervious work I became envious that I'm not getting to read that for the first time! I still enjoy her earlier books! The book was adapted into a play. Watch this promotional video and look at some of the props / costumes that were made for it. Could you make your own props and costumes and perform the story yourself? A story which shows family loyalty at it's finest as Zoe refuses to let her gran be unhappy where she doesn't want to be. The bullying aspect is horrific but not unbelievable as situations have probably happened were things have been that severe in events. Meanwhile, the family relationship is so broken when they begin to make amends for not listening to their daughter they finally bond a little like a realistic normal family. I immensely enjoyed this book especially highlighting Alzheimer's as an illness in YA as any young carers will relate to Zoe in how she has to aid her gran so much. I thought some of the poems just sounded like complete chessy, cliche, bullsh*t though. But also, at the same time, some of them were sobeautiful. Which is why I'm giving this book... 3.5 stars! Mixed feelings to be honest, but it was my first poetry book so y'know, sort of sentimental as well? Sorry this review is all over the place.

You got pregnant, that’s what. Why didn’t you get rid of me? I wish you had.” I run to my room, smother my face in my pillow. A whirlwind of hollers. “LEAVE ME ALONE LEAVE ME ALONE LEAVE ME ALONE LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” I keep it up till they do.

Some of the illustrations use lots of pictures to show a single action (e.g. the boy putting on his pilot’s outfit and the conversation about fixing the two machines). Can you make a storyboard that shows an action / event? He loves travel, cats and dogs, ice cream, working out, doing readings and workshops -- and, oh yes, meeting readers! This relationship between Zoe and her Granny is at the heart of the book. It's the reason why I loved it so much. The love they had for each other really resonated with me, and I believe it will resonate with anyone who has loved and lost a grandmother.

One of the things about this book that I thought was written extremely well was the dementia aspect, and you can tell that the author has personal experience with it. It's the little things, like Granny being asked simple questions and deflecting instead of answering in the hopes that no one will notice she doesn't know what the answer actually is. It's her taking her granddaughter out for ice cream and forgetting where they're going, why they're going there, how long they've been there. It's how the dementia gets progressively worse as the story goes on, to the point where Zoe can no longer deny that something is seriously wrong with her grandmother and that it's not just a quirk in her personality, or a defensive response because she feels threatened. That's where the real heart of the story lies, and I kind of wish there had been a bit more of that shown as well. With the children, identify the key events in the story. The events below are just suggestions but the children may sort their ideas in different ways. However, try to restrict them to between six and eight events otherwise it can become too complicated! Can you find out the distance from the Earth to the Moon? How long would the rope need to stretch that far? The main character Zoe is the worst teenager to ever exist. And she is the "relatable" protagonist. Her and cousin Madi hate each other. One point Madi and her gang tries to kill her by pushing her off a cliff. I've never heard of girls bullying each other to the point of death. What's her plan? To be a murderer? How can a normal high school bully risk jail time? It's very clear that author Allan Stratton doesn't have a single clue how teenage mindset works. This isn't Gone Girl, Allan. No teens kill other teens like that.Overall pretty good, and better than I bargained. I was looking for an easy read (it is) since I had stopped reading for awhile (life and death and crises intervened), and it worked for that, but there were gems, there was hope, there was insight, there was growth. Ok. Granny and Zoe love each other, so they go on a road trip to visit her long lost uncle Teddy. Granny is not stable, but the very smart Zoe lets her drive them to the train station. Geez. If you're being adventurous at least have a plan. Granny has cash. Call a cab or something. They get to the train station with no injuries, and go to Toronto. What's her plan then? She acts like she has one. She is one impulsive, selfish moron. First things first, do not read this book. Unless you hate yourself, then be my guest, read this book.

On the pleasant side of things, I really did love how the relationship between Zoe and her Granny was portrayed. The love between the two of them was just amazing. Ok so Zoe was very stupid taking her Granny cross country to Toronto but at the end of the day, Zoe just wanted to help and get her Granny away from a place where she knew that she was miserable. I also thought that Granny's Alzheimer's was written perfectly, I genuinely couldn't fault it and I also loved how Zoe didn't lose her patience with her, she just kept calm and tried her best to make sure Granny was getting what she needed. Zoe decides to break out her grandma and go to her uncle who she never met and don’t even know where he lives or let alone lives at all, which is just about the stupidest decision I’ve heard so far. She freaking let her grandmother who can barely function at all drive on the freaking highway. GIRL GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. Zoe never learns, and even in the end, she is still rude and hateful. It was also amazing to be introduced to a transgender charcater and even though this was the only element of diversity that existed within the book. However, I have no experience with transgender indivduals so I cannot say whether this representation was all good or not. But, she was an amazing woman who deserves a medal for what she had to put up with in her family when she was younger. No one should ever have to go through the transition without the support of their loved ones. I hate this book. It's disguising as a sort of feel-good wholesome emotional book. In reality it is emotionally manipulative in every way. I am required to write an essay on it. That means I have to praise it and analyze this idiotic novel and it's painfully obvious "underlying" themes. Now you may be thinking, "Well, maybe you were just too tired for annotating?". I take annotating very serious. I know I have to be in the mood for it. When I decide to annotate a book, I need lots of annotations and for it to be very neat. This is why I usually only annotate books I've read before or poetry.This poetry anthology was written with the panic and claustrophobia, the grief and the uncertainty, that the recent pandemic brought to all our lives. It is very personal, focusing on Peppernell's own losses and mental health struggles, but with themes that are universally experienced. I found many a beautiful passage to underline and much hope delivered after the very bleak first portion. Third, the whole book is basically built around the fact that you’re supposed to feel sorry for Zoe (the main character), which I didn’t obviously . The side characters are if possible even worse than Zoe. Madi, her cousin, is an absolute bitch. She is literally evil. Madi even got her friend to nearly kill Zoe, simply for the fact that she hates her. There are also several mentions of Zoe wanting to end her life. Suicide and murder are NOT to be taken lightly and having teens nearly kill each other or themselves over a stupid fight is not okay. As the book progresses, Zoe and Granny's relationship takes center stage after Granny is put in a retirement home for her worsening Alzheimer's, and Zoe decides break her out and run away to Toronto to find Granny's estranged son. I love the person that Zoe is when she's with Granny, and the treatment of Alzheimer's in this book is excellent. There are more secrets to be uncovered after the pair arrive in Toronto, which also brought a wonderful and unexpected twist. Children could write an imaginary letter from the boy to the Martian aboutwhathe hasbeen doing on Earth. Make a mobile

Anyways, her granny is put to an elderly house, a decision (a reasonable one) made by Zoe's parents. This makes sense since she has dementia, and barely has the ability to take care fo herself. Zoe doesn't like that. She plans to take care of granny alone, and giving up school. If anything is important school is. Being able to afford elderly house is great enough. Why do it yourself if you can put granny in somewhere safe and nice? Zoe is one selfish moron. Zoe is misunderstood by her parents and bullied by her vile cousin whom films an extreme case of threat against Zoe as they find it hilarious making Zoe beg for her life, literally. Write a sequel to the book in which the boy and the alien meet again. What might they do? Where might they go together?Help your child to make finger puppets of the martian and the boy out of felt or other fabric. Alternatively you could use small cardboard tubes decorated with coloured paper, paint or fabric to make mini figures. Playthe story This YA novel by the author of The Dogs didn't give me the best first impression, but it certainly grew on me. Model on separate pieces of card (or paper) how you would just write one or two keywords on each piece to act as prompts. Alternatively, you could draw pictures or symbols instead of words. For example, if you are using words you could write: Her gran suffers with Alzheimer's and is getting slowly worse and more forgetful as well as being prone to going want ring alone with her confusion getting herself into dangerous situations.