JUNO Book Club
Spring Book Club: nine new books for children
The Second-hand Boy By Jennifer Lane, UCLan Publishing This is an intriguing middle-grade novel about a boy called Billy whose feelings of not fitting in are compounded when best friend Marty moves away. Bullying at school and his mum’s mental health challenges weigh ever more heavily on him. Billy discovers a copy of Tom’s Midnight Garden, which has been annotated by its previous owner, James. Billy starts to get to know James by the notes he leaves in the margins, until, one day, he appears to him in real life. Events lead Billy into an exploration of parallel universes, imaginary friends and unexpected relationships, as he battles with his demons to understand what’s real and to find his place in the world. A tense and thought-provoking read. My Baby Sister is a Diplodocus By Aurore Petit, Gecko The child in this book is so excited when his baby sister arrives....
Spring Book Club: nine new books for children
The Second-hand Boy By Jennifer Lane, UCLan Publishing This is an intriguing middle-grade novel about a boy called Billy whose feelings of not fitting in are compounded when best friend...
Books for Inspiration: Amazing Brains
The Brainiac’s Book of the Body and Brain By Rosie Cooper, illustrated by Harriet Russell, Thames and Hudson Pitched at children aged 7–10, this book is packed with weird and wonderful information about the body and brain. It dives into different functions and processes, from dreaming to memories, the senses to motion, how the eyes work to how genes mutate. It looks at how the body has been studied through history, and has experiments to illustrate quirks about the way we work. It’s well laid out: there’s a different subject to explore on every double-page spread, with digestible text and bold, entertaining illustrations. Funny, sometimes gross, accessible and inclusive, there is so much in this book to fascinate curious young minds. My Amazing ADHD Brain: A Child’s Guide to Thriving with ADHD By Emily Snape, Summersdale This book for young children offers a positive exploration of ADHD. Pip, a little...
Books for Inspiration: Amazing Brains
The Brainiac’s Book of the Body and Brain By Rosie Cooper, illustrated by Harriet Russell, Thames and Hudson Pitched at children aged 7–10, this book is packed with weird and...
Spring Book Club: three new books for adults
Cancer as an Initiation: Opening Up to the Gifts of Cancer and Letting the Love In By Rachael Crow In Cancer as an Initiation, Rachael Crow describes how her cancer diagnosis became an opportunity to make real change in her life, to bring elements of home, work, health, emotions and relationships into balance. Her illness initiated deep soul searching and the chance to emerge anew. When I spoke to Crow for My Life My Way (page 80), she mentioned I was one of the few people without cancer who had read her book. What I thought when reading it, however, was how useful it was to read it in those circumstances. It made me rethink what the experience of illness could be. I have always feared getting a serious illness, particularly since having children (Crow acknowledges in the book that the most difficult thing to come to terms with was...
Spring Book Club: three new books for adults
Cancer as an Initiation: Opening Up to the Gifts of Cancer and Letting the Love In By Rachael Crow In Cancer as an Initiation, Rachael Crow describes how her cancer...
Early Spring Book Club: seven new books for chi...
D is for Dog By Em Lynas, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie, Nosy Crow This A to Z of dogs is a delight! Written in playful rhyme, it catalogues an alphabet of dog mischief: “A is for action and B is for bark. C is for catching a ball in the park.” But as well as alphabetising the dogs’ antics, the dogs themselves have been given the same treatment, and on the first three pages, we meet an Afghan hound, a beagle and a collie. This gets quite interesting towards the end of the alphabet, with a xoloitzcuintle (a Mexican hairless dog) and a zwergspitz (another name for a Pomeranian). Every member of the pack is celebrated – smart and scruffy, tall and short – and from nose to tail, each one is drawn with wonderful character. The boundless canine joy is irresistible for dog lovers big and small. I’m Feeling...
Early Spring Book Club: seven new books for children
D is for Dog By Em Lynas, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie, Nosy Crow This A to Z of dogs is a delight! Written in playful rhyme, it catalogues an alphabet...
Early Spring Book Club: three new books for adults
Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wilderness By Alastair Humphreys, Eye Books This book is fantastic. Humphreys, who has adventured across many countries, aimed to “make exploring my backyard as fulfilling as travelling the world”. I was immediately drawn in by the introduction. Musing that “just 1% of us take more than half of all flights” and admitting that he did not like the area where he lives, he only lives there because his family does and he likes them (the dry humour is a great aspect of the book), Humphreys buys an OS Explorer map, where 1km of land is represented by 4cm. He then sets off to explore one grid square a week. What he discovers is fascinating, and is as much about the local area as himself – about land issues that start to bother him: intensive farming, littering, access, and our collective lack of connection...
Early Spring Book Club: three new books for adults
Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wilderness By Alastair Humphreys, Eye Books This book is fantastic. Humphreys, who has adventured across many countries, aimed to “make exploring my backyard...
Books for Inspiration: Understanding Emotions
The Cat Who Couldn’t Be Bothered By Jack Kurland, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books In this gentle and funny picture book for young children, the cat’s friends bombard him with invitations – to parties, to go exploring, to dance, to skate, to paint. The cat, drawn with great character, declines them all. Finally, he finds the courage to speak up: it’s not that he can’t be bothered, it’s that he’s sad, and all he wants to do is nothing. His friends understand. There is much to be said for sitting with your feelings and allowing them to pass, especially when you realise you are not alone. Heartstopper: Volume 5 By Alice Oseman, Hodder Children’s Books Heartstopper has a global teen following. It tells Nick and Charlie’s story as they navigate the ups and downs of first love, friendships, coming out and mental health. The warm and supportive graphic novel series is...
Books for Inspiration: Understanding Emotions
The Cat Who Couldn’t Be Bothered By Jack Kurland, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books In this gentle and funny picture book for young children, the cat’s friends bombard him with invitations...
Winter Book Club: eight new books for children
What Will I Discover? By Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi, Greystone Kids The child in this book considers all the exciting things scientists have discovered – that otters tangle themselves in kelp so they don’t float away when they sleep, that Mars has a mountain three times taller than Everest, that cells inside our brains send signals to one another. But although there is much we know about the world around us, the book reminds us that there is still so much we don’t know. The child has their own questions they’re seeking answers to – “How do trees learn to talk to one another through their tangled roots?” “How do ideas pop into my head?” This gentle book encourages children to follow their innate curiosity, for who knows where it will lead them and what they will discover. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? By Mac...
Winter Book Club: eight new books for children
What Will I Discover? By Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi, Greystone Kids The child in this book considers all the exciting things scientists have discovered – that otters...
Winter Book Club: five new books for adults
Weird Walk: Wanderings and Wonderings Through the British Ritual Year Watkins I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! Growing up, my sister and I were continually trailed around one stone circle or another by our parents, and this instilled a lifelong love of exploring our magical, ancient landscape. We’re lucky in the UK to have so many places rich in history, folklore, and strange rituals to explore, and this book celebrates a great collection of them beautifully. The content is set out according to the Wheel of the Year, with a list of ‘selected observances’ for each season, which I loved delving into. There are interesting writeups for each place, which weave in modern culture, and how they fit into the wider landscape. I enjoyed learning about Thaxted, home of the Morris Ring, which hosts an annual gathering of morris sides from across the country, and to...
Winter Book Club: five new books for adults
Weird Walk: Wanderings and Wonderings Through the British Ritual Year Watkins I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! Growing up, my sister and I were continually trailed...
Books for Inspiration: Rise Up
Rise Up and Sing! Power, Protest and Activism in Music By Andrea Warner, illustrated by Louise Reimer, Greystone Kids This book celebrates the role music plays in the fight for justice, focusing on eight areas of activism, from the climate emergency to the peace movement and human rights. Each chapter offers case studies of musicians who have contributed to these causes through their music and activism, and music as activism. So many bold and brave artists are featured, and their music resonates powerfully through the book. The chapters end with a playlist of iconic tracks, which you can listen to for full impact. Girls Rule: 50 Women Who Changed the World By Danielle Brown, designed and illustrated by Robin Shields and Emily Hurlock, Button Books A collection of wonderfully told stories of women from across the world and throughout history who thought differently, pushed boundaries, challenged ideas and achieved things...
Books for Inspiration: Rise Up
Rise Up and Sing! Power, Protest and Activism in Music By Andrea Warner, illustrated by Louise Reimer, Greystone Kids This book celebrates the role music plays in the fight for...
Autumn Book Club: four new books for the whole ...
Autism For Adults: An Approachable Guide to Living Excellently on the Spectrum By Daniel M. Jones, Hay House This easy-to-digest book on what it’s like to be autistic is the ideal starting point for anyone who has been recently diagnosed or suspects they are autistic. It is also a wonderful introduction to life as an autistic person for anyone who wishes to understand autism better, particularly parents or family members of autistic people. With clear chapters that end in a list of summarised takeaway points, and wellspaced formatting, this book is a pleasure to read as an autistic person, where big blocks of writing can be distracting. Jones draws on his own experiences throughout the book, which makes it incredibly relatable, sometimes with a chuckle and smile, but occasionally with a nod of solidarity regarding the struggles autistic people face. He gives a good insight into the potential difficulties of...
Autumn Book Club: four new books for the whole family
Autism For Adults: An Approachable Guide to Living Excellently on the Spectrum By Daniel M. Jones, Hay House This easy-to-digest book on what it’s like to be autistic is the...
