Tag: middle-grade-book-review

Review: Letters to a Dog written by Piers Torday and illustrated by Alice McKinley

Written by Piers Torday
Illustrated by Alice McKinley
Published by Published by Barrington Stoke (an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)

Letters to a Dog is a poignant, heart-warming and humorous story that brought both tears and smiles as a grieving father and son find a way to re-connect in the most magical way.

Eleven-year-old Jamie adores animals and longs for a pet and, one pet in particular: an adorable brown-and-white terrier who he had met whilst at the dog home, pretending that he was looking for an adoptive dog even though he knows his dad is not keen.

Whilst in hospital facing a life-changing operation, nurse Shirley suggests that he writes a letter to the dog which seems a good idea to Jamie as he is desperate to share his feelings with someone. He cannot share them with his dad because Jamie has fallen out with him, and is refusing to speak to him, until he allows him to open up about how he is feeling after the loss of his mother.

Imagine his excitement and surprise when Dog writes back – he’s got his very own dog pal! And so begins the most wonderful correspondence – honest, funny and hopeful – and a way for two who are lonely and miss what they have lost, to make a fresh connection.

This is a beautifully told, empathetic story that does not shy away from the heartbreak that families go through when dealing with loss and the different ways that people cope with grief. It also a story that shines with love, memories and promises fulfilled.

The illustrations are absolutely wonderful in two different styles. One has more simple line drawings capturing Jamie’s sketches in his letters to Dog. The others are gorgeously detailed illustrations showing things that have deep meaning for Jamie including his time in hospital, visiting dog and memories of his mum. The final illustration is absolutely perfect – and captures the essence of the story perfectly.

A paw-some blend of humour and heart, of finding a way to communicate and re-connect, and of an adorable dog who brings a family together again.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages. This is suitable for 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Review: Becoming Grace written by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Keith Robinson

Becoming Grace is the beautifully told, captivating and heartfelt story of the childhood of Victorian heroine Grace Darling and the incredible courage she shows in rescuing survivors of the Forfarshire shipwreck.

Grace is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, growing up happily as part of a large, loving family on the Farne Islands surrounded by the wild beauty of the sea, watching eider ducks and seal pups. But she is also all too aware of the dangers of stormy seas as she has helped look after survivors brought home by her father and brothers following shipwrecks.

I really enjoyed learning about Grace’s life, spending time with her brothers and sisters, undertaking her studies through home-schooling and helping with duties at the lighthouse including polishing mirrors and milking the goats. There is a real sense of teamwork and I loved when the family welcomed another member to their team: a black puppy called Happy who becomes a much-loved member of the family.

This is a story that ebbs and flows with the ups and downs of family life, with happy times and sad times and with the inevitable changes that occur as years pass. One of the big changes for Grace was a move to a new lighthouse further out at sea on Longstone Rock where more ships were likely to see the light and avoid the treacherous rocks. But, in September 1838, disaster struck when paddle steamer, The Forfarshire was wrecked on Harcar Rock. Looking out of the lighthouse window, Grace saw people on the rocks and alerted her father to their plight, and so began a father and daughter dangerous rescue mission …

Grace’s courage in helping her father row the coble through a stormy sea is all the more incredible as she has a fear of drowning due to an accident as a child so she is able to empathise with the frightened and panicked survivors of the shipwreck. Her quick actions and determination to alert her father and help him in the rescue mission saved the lives of nine people. This selfless act of bravery brought young Grace Darling to the attention of none other than Queen Victoria and has made her a famous figure in British history.

The illustrations throughout are absolutely stunning and really capture both the bleak beauty of island life and the strong family bonds as well as bringing to life the strength and courage of this incredible young heroine.

A captivating story of courage and family bonds and a wonderful testament to the life of an incredible young heroine, Grace Darling.


Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages. This is suitable for 9+ with a reading age of 8.