Wren & Rook ISBN: 9781526362377 £9.99
Self-help books abound and are often an acquired taste, but this sequel to the successful You Are Awesome is as readable as the first. Ex international table-tennis player, now writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed has a gift for communicating and once again has found the right pitch and tone to appeal to upper KS2 children. This time he is on a mission to encourage children to lose all self-doubt and find their own path to being truly themselves. His clever balance of humorous personal anecdote, insight into his relationship with his brother and parents, together with scientific support for what he suggests and examples of real famous people who have managed the same thing, make this an enjoyable and engaging read. He debunks the idea of ‘average’ and ‘normal’ and emphasises the creativity in people such as the inventor of Google and Nobel prize-winners. He explains the ‘copying’ instinct, the importance of asking questions and of being kind (including to yourself) and how to be resilient. The layout once again with its cartoons, orange colour, comic book features, speech bubbles, font size changes all contribute to the book’s appeal and enable the ‘message’ to be accessed palatably. He speaks directly to the reader involving them and encouraging their empathy by using rhetorical questions and references to things already mentioned, along with phrases like, “You’re probably wondering…” and “I bet you didn’t see that coming!” Personally, though, using full stops for emphasis. A lot. Rather got on my nerves. Truly.
Sue Barret
