The team at Barrington Stoke have been busy and there has been a flurry of new titles published recently or due out this month. I should like to highlight three books, all of which are suitable for readers age 9+ with a reading age of 8. Expertly edited to ensure that they are accessible to all, these stories by highly regarded authors, although different in themes, convey positivity, understanding and care for others. Highly recommended for primary school libraries and classrooms.

Puloma and the Bear by Jasbinder Bilan illustrated by Skylar White

This story set in the Indian countryside is a short but moving read. Jasbinder Bilan encourages the reader to care about orphan Puloma and the circus bear she befriends in this inspiring story highlighting the plight of animals kept in captivity. Despite Puloma’s efforts to please her, her uncaring aunt makes her feel unwelcome so the girl runs away and finds a job helping in a travelling circus. She is so desperate to find a place to live and and a job that she tries to ignore the nervousness of the circus performers when the local police are mentioned or their need to move on every couple of days.

Then one night Puloma discovers the truth. The circus’s star act is a sloth bear called Nyla. The bear is kept in poor conditions and forced to dance with a young woman performer in the circus ring. Although this is illegal the circus owner is determined to provide ‘the suprise’ that brings the audience in. Puloma start to care for the bear providing food and making her as comfortable as possible and resolves to help Nyla escape the cruel life she endures.

Puloma is an inspiring young girl, overcoming her own grief and difficulties to advocate for an animal in need. Through this character young readers will learn how important it is to speak up about wrongs done to animals. The beautiful illustrations by Skylar White bring the characters and the Indian countryside to life for the reader. A lovely story for animal loving children and one with an important message too. Puloma and the Bear was published on 13th March.

Becoming Grace by Hilary McKay illustrated by Keith Robinson

Hilary McKay’s latest novella for Barrington Stoke is another gem. Becoming Grace is the story of Grace Darling before she became a Victorian celebrity for her courage in assisting her lighthouse keeper father in the rescue of people from a shipwreck off the coast of Bamburgh, Northumberland. Told with empathy and an appreciation of the setting and circumstances, accompanied by atmospheric illustrations by Keith Robinson, Becoming Grace is ideal for the KS2 classroom and a wonderful way of engaging children with history.

Grace Darling was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, living on the island on which the lighthouse stands with her parents, four brothers and three sisters. The children’s lives are in some ways idyllic as they share their home with numerous goats, chickens, cats and, after a visit to the mainland, a puppy aptly named Happy. The siblings are schooled by their parents, help look after the lamp and the mirrors and tend to the animals. However this idyll is occasionally marred by losses at sea and Grace frequently helps her family tend to survivors of wrecks who have witnessed events that are hard to deal with. When a new lighthouse is built on Longstone Rock Grace is the only one of the children who remains with her parents. It is she who with great courage overcomes her childhood fear of drowning to help her father rescue some of the survivors of the wrecked Forfarshire.

Hilary McKay has a gift for bringing characters to life on the page and in Becoming Grace this skill is displayed again. She conveys the reality of life for people such as Grace’s family at that time and also touches on the expectations of girls and young women in the Victorian age. There is much to learn from this short but compelling book. This particular partnership of author and illustrator works well with Keith Robinson’s black and white illustrations conveying the details of the family’s life and the emotional experience of these people. The cover has real shelf appeal too capturing the drama of this well know historical event. Becoming Grace is published on 10th April.

The Last House in the Row by Lesley Parr illustrated by Richard Johnson

Lesley Parr’s first novella for Barrington Stoke is full of the warmth and understanding that regular readers of her books will recognise. The Last House in the Row is set in a Welsh community and tells the story of an unlikely friendship between an impulsive 11 year old girl and a reclusive old lady and the impact that their bond has on them both. Tender, wise and beautifully told, this is an absolute delight of a book.

Hayley is cross that her much loved pet cat, who bears the unlikely name Judy Garland, keeps disappearing into the garden of the eccentric old lady who lives across the street from her family. Hayley refers to the old lady as Boo rather than her name, Lillian, and thinks of her as akin to a witch from tales she listened to when she was younger. All the other houses in the street have been knocked down but the indomitable Lillian has resisted all attempts by the council to knock her home down too. Lillian has remained alone in her house ever since.

When Hayley attempts to retrieve her cat from Lillian’s back garden she is taken aback by the old lady’s reaction and a tentative relationship starts to develop between the two. Gradually the bond becomes closer as Lillian reveals more about her past and helps Hayley with her own hopes and ambitions. The young girl also learns why the old lady is so reluctant to leave her home. However a misunderstanding causes a rift that Hayley fears she will be unable to repair and the reader shares the child’s hopes that the situation can be resolved.

Not a single word is wasted in this empathetic story. The inter-generational friendship is depicted with skill and kindness and is the heart of the story. I found some of the moments profoundly moving and The Last House in the Row is a lesson on not leaping to conclusions about people despite outward appearances. A simply lovely story that leaves the reader feeling better for having read it. I must mention the illustrations by Richard Johnson who has perfectly captured the character of Lillian as described by the author. The cover also provides a taste of what to expect from the story as a good cover should! Published on 10th April.

I should like to thank the publishers Barrington Stoke and Poppy McLean for providing my review copies.