Anna thinks that her friends at school lead more interesting lives than she does. So, when she is asked to befriend Ellie, who is at home due to illness, she feels totally inadequate. Ellie accesses school through a small robot and can interact with the pupils and also see what is going on. In order to make things more interesting for Ellie, Anna starts making activities up and pretends that she has just as much of a social life as the others. However, these things usually have a way of being found out and Anna needs to find the strength to admit what has been going on and hopefully mend bridges with Ellie.
Barrington Stoke produce wonderful titles for readers who have issues with their reading. The stories are written by some of our best children’s writers and never talk down to the reader. This story is about accepting who you are and finding out that the ‘grass’ is not always greener. Friendship is about more than just the possessions and activities that you can afford; it is about sharing, caring, laughing and empathy. The book is aimed at a reading age of 8+ and an interest level of 9+.
Margaret Pemberton
Barrington Stoke ISBN 978178129647 £6.99
