Tag Archives: Disability

Piglettes

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Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais

Book of the Week: 10 March 2019

Cover design: studiohelen.co.uk

Students of the Marie Darrieussecq High School in Bourg-en-Bresse hold a cruel competition annually and vote in the Pig Pageant on Facebook for the ugliest girls in the school. Tough-minded Mireille jokes about only winning bronze, whereas in the past she came top, but newcomer to school, Astrid, and Hakima from Year 8 are hurt and upset.

Mireille persuades them to cycle across half of France to Paris to gatecrash an important event. They will survive by hauling a trailer from which they will cook and sell sausages along the route. Hakima’s parents insist that her older brother Kader, who has been invalided out of the armed services, after losing both legs in a conflict, accompany them in his wheelchair.

The resulting road trip gives them unwanted attention by the media and, although basically light-hearted, covers subjects such as coping with disability, body-shaming, bullying as well as a wonderful appreciation of French food and the countryside.

Floored

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Floored by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood

Book of the Week: 16 September 2018

Illustrations by Laura Callaghan

A book choice for older readers this week which has been written by seven writers.

Six young people get in a lift at the television company UKB for various reasons. Dawson is visiting his mum’s office: he thinks of himself as a sixteen year old has-been because he was once in a successful tv show but now can’t find work. Velvet is on work experience and worried about her uncomfortable shoes, whilst Kaitlyn’s school sent her to UKB for work experience because her failing eyesight means she can no longer pursue her dream of being a beautician. Joe is on a school trip, but has sneaked into the lift to pretend he’s also on the work experience scheme, and Hugo, the son of an MP and a UKB executive, is on work placement for the sake of his CV. The sixth young person is Sasha who is trying to deliver a parcel. A seventh person gets into the lift with them and then something horrible happens that has a lasting effect on their lives.

We meet up with all the characters over the years as they deal with successes and difficulties and their relationships with one another change and grow. Events are told by each character in turn with a narrator’s voice making brief appearances throughout. Some events are told in the form of messages in the WhatsApp group that they all drop in and out of.

All the authors are experienced writers for teenagers and young adults and if you have enjoyed books by any of them you may be able to spot their writing styles.

Due to the story containing some strong language, sexual content, drinking and drug-taking it is more suited to older readers in Year 11 and above.

I Have No Secrets

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I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson

Book of the Week: 4 February 2018

Cover design by L. Horton

A crime story told from the unique perspective of fourteen-year-old Jemma who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy. Jemma lives with her foster parents who also care for Finn, who has autism, and sparky Olivia who has emotional difficulties. Jemma is unable to speak, communicate or control her muscles but she is intelligent and observant and sees things that other people miss. She knows, for example, that the charming Dan, who is dating her carer Sarah, is not all he seems. He displays quite a different attitude when he is alone with Jemma, believing she is powerless. Jemma is desperate to let everyone know what Dan has done, but how can she protect her family when her options are limited?

This is not only a tense story but one that gives readers a rare insight into living with a disability. Jemma is a great character and there are some real lump-in-the-throat moments as well as some anxious ones.

World Book Day 1 March 2018

I Have No Secrets also happens to be one of the books on special offer for World Book Day on 1 March. This year is a little different from previous years insomuch as you will be able to swap your coupon (plus £1.50 payment) for one of five full-length books. These five books are aimed at secondary school readers and are by John Green, Frances Hardinge, Benjamin Zephaniah, Taran Matharu and Penny Joelson. Have a look here. Vouchers will be distributed to every student in School after half-term.

 

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Because You’ll Never Meet Me

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Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Book of the Week: 27 September 2015

Because You'll Never Meet Me

Fourteen year-old Ollie and sixteen year-old Moritz are both highly unusual, isolated people, but in different ways and for different reasons. Ollie is allergic to electricity, it causes fits, and Moritz was born without eyes but can ‘see’ by using echo-location. Ollie lives in a cabin in the woods with his mother, without access to modern technology. Moritz has been brought up by his father, goes to school, but is bullied and treated like a freak. Ollie is is love with Liz, the only girl he has ever seen. Moritz tries to avoid everyone. Ollie is a friendly optimist. Moritz is condescending and pessimistic. They start writing to one another about their lives and become friends, knowing they will never meet.  Moritz has a pacemaker, the power from which would probably induce a fatal fit in Ollie. Underlying the everyday events of their lives is a mystery about a possible shared past. Will discovering this prove to be the end of their friendship?

This is an unconventional, sensitively-told story and an extremely original one. The boys have totally different styles of expression, although both are precocious. Whether you enjoy this story of a well-developed friendship depends a lot on whether you like ‘the voices’ of the two characters and whether you are eager to find out the secrets of their past.

There is an interview with the author here and the publisher’s have a teacher’s guide to the book here that contains spoilers.