The Amazing Edie Eckhart: Book 1

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When heavily pregnant form tutor, Mrs Adler suggests Edie audition for the school play, Edie gets the lead and decides to nab herself a boyfriend by Christmas. She negotiates her way through failed dates with boys who would be better as friends, eating sausage rolls, and learning her lines. Despite her oldest friendship falling by the wayside with a huge argument, Edie makes friends with set-designer, Flora, who becomes very important to her. Edie is an average eleven-year-old girl; she has a loving family and a best friend named Oscar who shares her love of sausage rolls and Marvel films. She also has cerebral palsy which makes her a little wobbly, more likely to fall over, and a little slower at talking. Edie has always relied on Oscar to help her out – he even carries a special box around with him that includes plasters and spare tights – but at their new school they are put into separate classes and Edie realizes she won’t always be able to rely on him anymore.

My daughter read this book just as she started high school and RAVED about it, so I thought I would see what she was talking about. Story: Eleven year old Edie writes in her diary about starting a new school, her best friend Oscar and living with cerebral palsy. And most peeps know how I often feel about little brothers or sisters? Well, I have to say that Louie was just adorable and sweet. I loved how he was with Edie and how Edie was with him. I didn’t really like Oscar throughout the book because as soon as Edie branches out and finds an interest for her that doesn’t involve him, he becomes quite unsupportive. I think this is quite mean because Edie supports Oscar with his football training and matches. On top of that Edie is trying to figure out where she fits in: do you have to define all friendships? And can you be a writer AND a performer, or do you have to choose between the two?

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Edie and her best friend, Oscar, are about to start secondary school. Edie is excited and thinks things will be just the same, but it turns out a lot of things will change. Edie must learn it’s good to make new friends, try new things, and become even more independent. There were some genuinely funny moments (I particularly liked the Stephen King / Stephen Hawking mix up!) But also some tender ones too. The way Edie talked about CP is going to be such a game changer for kids and how they perceive disabilities. This is the first book I have read where an entire family is shown to be accepting of LGBTQ+ people from the beginning of the story. A lot of books centre around self-discovery and coming out, but this story explores family and community relationships. Bea’s older sister is especially unhappy with the move, so in the hope of cheering her up, Bea desires to bring Pride to their new home. Without a support network, life can be extremely isolating, especially in a remote community. As a child of the countryside, I welcomed the exploration of LGBTQ+ identities outside of an urban setting. LOVE IT! Wat mij betreft een must-have qua thematiek. En fantastisch lekker geschreven voor en vanuit kind/tiener(perspectief). I wish there was more books like this when I was younger that I could’ve shared with my friends that were both educational, fun and interesting instead of being solely awareness focused.

Edie decides writing in her diary is fun after all. Oscar has been her best friend since kindergarten. Edie knows high school will be fine because Oscar will be there too. What I love is that this is a story of an 11 year old girl who does all these things, but happens to have cerebral palsy. It’s by no means central to the plot - just a part of what makes up this funny, excitable 11 year old girl.This summer I attended my first ever London Pride. I got to experience the uncontrollable joy and complex sadness of this truly sublime experience. I felt seen and heard, like there was a metaphysical place I belonged to. It’s the start of Year Eight and there’s a new girl in Edie’s class from America! Edie can’t wait to get to know Mia and her twin brother, Benjamin. This is Thrilling with a capital T! Especially as Mrs Adler sits Mia next to Edie in class. Mia has a hearing impairment and wears hearing aids. She seems shy and Edie knows how scary it can feel to join a new school. Maybe Edie can be the jam to Mia’s jelly? It’s time for… THE FRIEND MISSION! The book contains excellent disability, LGBTQ, young carer, and sausage roll/pizza/Maccy D’s representation throughout. Jokes aside, so many positive elements feature casually and as the norm (as in life, and as it should be). This is exactly the kind of writing we need for children today, funny, bold, inclusive.

I’m a society where children’s books don’t often portray the main character - a child - with disability, nor even dare to mention anything remotely LBGTQ+ this has all the elements to give enough info but not rammed down the readers throat. The plot is great, the friendships up and downs are relatable and it’s got good depth to character. Although Edie is just starting High School, kids under this age group would still enjoy the story and I plan to read this to and with my 8 year old. If you are in Australia or New Zealand (DVD Region 4), note that almost all DVDs distributed in the UK by the BBC and 2entertain are encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4. The UK and Australasia are in the same Blu-ray region (B). The following three books are positive stories that also don’t shy away from hard and anxious truths. As children we crave escapism and comfort from the fictional worlds we chose to inhabit. If I’d had access to books like these as a child, I believe that my teenage years would not have been as confusing and isolating, and I would have had the reassurance that I was not alone and hope that I have a bright future ahead of me. The character of Edie is very inspirational because she joined a theatre club, got a lead role, and then did something as ambitious as to change the lead character’s gender. Mr. Murphy is a character that I think is good for Edie because he motivates her a lot when the performance of a Christmas Carol is nearing.

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But then the school organises a camping trip.... complete with muddy walks and team games. It is a DISASTER. The only fun bit is sitting by the fire and telling stories. The Secret Sunshine Project follows a young girl called Bea. When Bea attended London Pride with her family , she had one of the best days ever. But after her father dies, Bea and her family move to the countryside to live with her Gran. But there was one day I looked forward to all year: World Book Day. World Book Day meant costumes and games and reading. It meant talking, all day, about my favourite thing: books. For a day, my classmates and I became witches, wizards, kings, and queens. We could become someone else.

I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

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From TV comedian Rosie Jones comes a sparky and HILARIOUS series for readers aged 9+ . Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and DORK DIARIES. Using verse rather than prose, the book follows Stevie’s thoughts and inner monologue, not only focussing on her feelings but also on her parental relationships, anxiety, friendships, and love of reading. And it is Stevie’s love of reading, especially about sea-creatures, that leads her to research in a library. But as I grew, the more I began to question myself. I didn’t understand why my friends thought boys were cool, or why the adults around me said I’d marry a man one day. Confused and frustrated, I turned to books for answers. But all I could find were stories about princes chasing after princesses, and queens being saved by knights. As each World Book Day passed, I never felt quite content with my costumes. Because for that one day, I wanted to dress as a character who was like me. ok I knoooow this is classed as a “kids book”, but I’ve never felt so represented in a book in my whole life and that’s saying something. i wish this book was around when I was 11, i feel like it would’ve made me understand myself better, and saved me many years of worry and confusion! Oscar makes new friends playing football, and Olivia wins a place in the school musical. Boyfriends and girlfriends complicate school. How do they sort out their friendship, and do they make new friends?