JUNO Book Club
Summer Book Club: nine new books for children
Budgie By Joseph Coelho, illustrated by David Barrow, Barrington Stoke Miles loves climbing the trees on his estate, but he’s always being told off by a neighbour, Mr Buxton. When Miles finds a lost budgie, he discovers he and Mr Buxton have more in common than he could ever have imagined. This is a really lovely story about empathy and intergenerational friendship, told simply and lyrically by award-winning author Joseph Coelho, the children’s laureate. The text is supported by bright illustrations by David Barrow, which capture the warmth and sensitivity of the story beautifully. Barrington Stoke publish super-readable, accessible books that help every child enjoy the experience of reading, with particular consideration for reluctant readers and children who struggle to read due to dyslexia or visual stress. Budgie is part of the fantastic Little Gems collection. These books have a chunky format, beautiful colour illustrations, and well-spaced text, to help...
Summer Book Club: nine new books for children
Budgie By Joseph Coelho, illustrated by David Barrow, Barrington Stoke Miles loves climbing the trees on his estate, but he’s always being told off by a neighbour, Mr Buxton. When...
Summer Book Club: four new books for adults
Wild Swimming Walks South Wales: 28 Coast, River & Waterfall Days Out By Nia Lloyd Knott, Wild Things Publishing Nia Lloyd Knott was born in South Wales and her knowledge about and affection for the area makes her an engaging guide for these walks. Included are routes in the Gower, the Brecon Beacons, the Wye Valley, the Usk Valley and more. Living in Bristol, South Wales is just a stone’s throw and has some of my favourite places to escape to – Skenfrith in Monmouthshire, Hay-on-Wye, Pen y Fan. The book is a fantastic resource as it offers lesser-known walks and swims to be found in each place. I have often taken what the book describes as “the motorway” route up Pen y Fan, so it was great to discover an alternative, complete with swims at a glacial lake, pools and waterfalls. I enjoyed her warning about leeches in the...
Summer Book Club: four new books for adults
Wild Swimming Walks South Wales: 28 Coast, River & Waterfall Days Out By Nia Lloyd Knott, Wild Things Publishing Nia Lloyd Knott was born in South Wales and her knowledge...
Three books to help little ones process big fee...
A Bed of Stars By Jessica Love, Walker Books For this young boy, the endless sky feels so expansive, it’s too much for him to contemplate. His dad has an idea, and the two of them head into the desert on a camping trip. They notice the detail of the world around them, and when night comes, the boy’s dad helps him see the connections between all things, and the stars turn into friends. There is so much love and understanding in this beautiful story about finding your place in the vastness of the Universe. The Laugh By Fay Evans, illustrated by Ayşe Klinge, Flying Eye Books A girl remembers her mother’s laugh in all its glorious forms; it captures the way she lives and the way she loves. When her mother dies, it seems her laugh goes with her. But, one day, the girl laughs unexpectedly, and suddenly...
Three books to help little ones process big feelings
A Bed of Stars By Jessica Love, Walker Books For this young boy, the endless sky feels so expansive, it’s too much for him to contemplate. His dad has an...
The Song of the Nightingales: stories for Ukrai...
Last year, Australian author Susan Perrow was invited to partner with a social worker based in Romania, Didi Ananda Devapriya, on a story project for Ukrainian refugees. Over the past nine months, they have written and collated a therapeutic story collection entitled The Song of the Nightingales. Here they introduce the book... Therapeutic stories are a healing medium that allow children, teenagers and adults to embark on an imaginative journey, rather than being lectured or directly addressed about the issue. By identifying with the main character or characters, the listener is empowered as obstacles are overcome and a resolution achieved. This is a gentle, easy, yet often effective means of addressing challenging behaviours and difficult situations. As medicine is used to help restore wholeness or balance to out-of-balance physical conditions, story medicine (therapeutic or healing stories) can be an imaginative and effective pedagogical strategy. Story medicine uses metaphor and story...
The Song of the Nightingales: stories for Ukrainian refugees
Last year, Australian author Susan Perrow was invited to partner with a social worker based in Romania, Didi Ananda Devapriya, on a story project for Ukrainian refugees. Over the past...
Molly’s First Festival: a fun picture book for ...
Molly’s First Festival is a fun and inclusive picture book about a little girl going to a music festival for the first time. It was created by Somerset-based illustrator Katherine O’Shea and was made possible through crowdfunding. “It all started in a field on Worthy Farm, when I went to Glastonbury Festival as a mum for the first time,” says Katherine. “My husband and I had never gone to an event like this with a toddler in tow and were both rather nervous, given that Molly had been born during the Covid-19 lockdown and was unused to such large events. But of course, music festivals are wonderful places for children, and despite the ups, downs and general messes, we all had a magical time. “As I looked at the lights across the valley and thought about the beautiful experience we had been through together, the idea to create a children’s...
Molly’s First Festival: a fun picture book for festival families!
Molly’s First Festival is a fun and inclusive picture book about a little girl going to a music festival for the first time. It was created by Somerset-based illustrator Katherine...
Spring Book Club: four new books for adults
The Danish Way of Raising Teens: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Healthy Teenagers with Character By Iben Dissing Sandahl, Piatkus Denmark has been voted the happiest country in the world by the OECD for more than 40 years, and in her book The Danish Way of Parenting, Sandahl looked at why upbringing is influenced by ingrained values and how that cycle repeats itself. In her latest book, Sandahl looks particularly at how Danish teenagers are parented, and how this contributes to the overall ethos of happiness. Many of the elements discussed are universal – trust, authenticity, empathy. However, some elements are more specific to Danish culture, such as efterskoles, which are independent residential schools for students aged between 14 and 18 years, where education is mixed with activities and the opportunity to learn independence. Sandahl also writes about attitudes to alcohol in Denmark, accepting...
Spring Book Club: four new books for adults
The Danish Way of Raising Teens: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Healthy Teenagers with Character By Iben Dissing Sandahl, Piatkus Denmark has been voted...
Spring Book Club: seven new books for children
The Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Unearthed the Truth About the Dinosaurs By Kate Winter, Puffin Dinosaurs hold a particular fascination for children, and this book tells of Mary Anning’s important fossil discoveries over 200 years ago. As well as being full of scientific and historic information, The Fossil Hunter is also a captivating story. Mary, who lived in Lyme Regis, was too poor to go to school. Her father taught her about fossils, and Mary collected them to sell to wealthy tourists. After her father died, she went on to discover the first ichthyosaur, and an almost complete skeleton of a plesiosaur. Her findings paved the way for modern palaeontology. The book raises interesting points for discussion as it addresses the way in which the establishment attempted to take credit for Mary’s work and write her out of history. The illustrations are wonderfully atmospheric. As well as capturing a...
Spring Book Club: seven new books for children
The Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Unearthed the Truth About the Dinosaurs By Kate Winter, Puffin Dinosaurs hold a particular fascination for children, and this book tells of Mary Anning’s...
Three books to help little ones connect with na...
What Can You Spot in the Woods? By Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham, Fine Feather Press Part of the Nature Spotters series, this is a child-friendly companion for exploring our rich woodlands and discovering the species that live there. It’s divided into themes such as mammals, birds, trees and fungi, and there are large colour photographs of each species for easy identification. You can tick off entries as you see them, and even if you don’t spot all 190 species featured, it’s wonderful to learn about the incredible wildlife living in our woods and forests. A Little Dose of Nature: Outdoor Fun to Help Happiness Bloom By Dr Alison Greenwood, illustrated by Anneli Bray, Ivy Kids With activities such as making a mandala, scavenging for smells, and drawing sun portraits with a friend, this gentle, interactive book offers us a daily dose of nature to make us feel good. The...
Three books to help little ones connect with nature
What Can You Spot in the Woods? By Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham, Fine Feather Press Part of the Nature Spotters series, this is a child-friendly companion for exploring our...
An essential read for pregnant women to know th...
I qualified as a midwife in 1972 and have worked for the NHS in both hospital and community. “Am I allowed?” was a question I have been asked countless times. How I wish I’d had a book such as this in my little black bag! Gone are the days when women simply accepted and complied with tests and treatments being provided under the banner of ‘care’. They are now, thankfully, questioning more and more, with a wish to take control of their confinement and birth. A woman should not be made to feel part of a conveyor-belt system, but should be treated as an individual who is also protecting the rights of her unborn child. Beverley Beech has years of experience campaigning on the rights of mothers during pregnancy and birth. I am sure she has been a thorn in the side of both the Royal College of Midwives and...
An essential read for pregnant women to know their rights
I qualified as a midwife in 1972 and have worked for the NHS in both hospital and community. “Am I allowed?” was a question I have been asked countless times....
Four powerful and inspiring books for young rea...
The Lost Whale By Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, HarperCollins Children’s Books Hannah Gold taps into something elemental in her new book, The Lost Whale. The protagonist, Rio, is sent to stay with his grandma in California while his mother is in hospital, receiving help after a long period of mental ill health. Rio has spent much of his childhood caring for her, and he feels the weight of her recovery on his shoulders. While in California where his mother grew up, he learns of her love of whales, whose migratory path takes them down the west coast each year. One whale in particular was once special to his mother: White Beak. When Rio comes face to face with White Beak, he feels a powerful connection to her, and to his mum. When White Beak runs into danger, Rio believes that by saving her, he can also save his mum....
Four powerful and inspiring books for young readers
The Lost Whale By Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, HarperCollins Children’s Books Hannah Gold taps into something elemental in her new book, The Lost Whale. The protagonist, Rio, is sent...
