When the kids of Turtle Place get bored, things happen.
Twelve-year-old Evie is fed up with life at number three Turtle Place. Fed up with her annoying sister Grace, fed up with mum’s unhelpful parenting TED talks and fed up with dad’s motivational quotes. There’s only thing for it…she needs to move out. Rounding up the neighbourhood kids, Evie hopes to bring her tiny house plans to fruition. But with everyone having an opinion and others mocking her big plans, Evie’s building project looks destined to fail before the foundations have been laid…
A quest for peace and quiet brings a community and family together in Matt Stanton’s latest book, the third in a hit series of hilarious and accurately observed tales that address the everyday, often mundane and very complicated business of being a kid. After hearing Milo and Frog recount their adventures and misadventures in books one and two, we now join Evie, a strong-minded and spunky girl with big plans and who isn’t afraid to take matters into her own hands when things get too much at home.
As children, we’ve all threatened to move out when annoying parents and siblings just cannot be tolerated any longer. And whilst most of us get as far as the end of the drive, maybe even the end of the street, before returning to the sanctuary of home, Evie goes next level. Rounding up the mismatched bunch of neighbourhood kids is the first step in a project that builds more than just a new home. With all of the residents of Turtle Place coming together, Evie finds the foundations for acceptance and a better way to live harmoniously with those that she really needs and loves. Funny stories set in typical neighbourhoods are always going to be a hit with kids, especially when much of what happens to Evie, Milo, Frog and the others could actually occur in life. With relatable characters, authentic conversations and disagreements, big dilemmas and genuine friendships, readers will easily identify with the kids of Turtle Place as they go about navigating the day-to-day life of being a child and all of the highs and lows and frustrations and successes that go along with it. Told over several short and punchy chapters, the Bored series overflows with fun, family and friendship whilst subtly touching upon important themes. Childhood illness (great to have representation of a young cystic fibrosis sufferer), learning to get along, compromise, thinking of others and self-belief are all addressed. Evie’s story is the third book in the collection and whilst it can be read as a stand-alone it is definitely worth joining the kids from the very start and learning about the quirky characters (who in any other situation probably wouldn’t be friends), their lives and their neighbourhood. Matt Stanton’s engaging writing style and easy to read narrative will grab the attention of even the most reluctant of readers! Add it to your lower key stage two classrooms. Recommended for 7+. With huge thanks to Harper Collins and ABC Books for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2024
|