Cricket

‘Memories don’t always have to come from things’. When Maya looks to find her Grandpa’s cricket bat, despite it perhaps upsetting her Mama and Papa, it inspires her to start the school cricket club. Even though she is unable to find the bat herself, the cricket team begins training but with a surprise coach – not her dad like she expected, but her mum!

Training is gruelling but there is a reason behind it – her mum’s passion. Lots of different characters join the team and whilst it takes Maya time to warm to some of them, they band together as a team. The story develops and encapsulates how children need to adjust: to moving countries, to moving homes, to navigating friendships and school experiences. It explores the theme of kindness and how people remember when people are kind to them.

Maya is always shadowed by ‘Mind’ which I feel refers to the importance of her thoughts and feelings. The fact that Mind is always at the forefront of the decisions Maya makes shows the reader the significance of our minds on not only us as players but as friends and family members.

It is really refreshing to see a book based around a love of sport – especially cricket – with a female protagonist. Last Girl In features Kerry-Ann, a young girl living in modern-day London, who completely encapsulates her Jamaican heritage.

This is a fairly quick read most suitable for KS2 pupils and one that features themes most pupils can relate to such as rivalry between peers, family links and sporting prowess, alongside themes which some pupils will strongly feel but will be new to others such as experiences of racism, discovering other cultures and feelings of shame.

Kerry-Ann and her friends are huge lovers of cricket and the book centres around their battle for fair use of the cricket ground against the ‘stronger’ athletes. Kerry-Ann has a strong relationship with her family, most notably her Grandfather who is also a big cricket fan and part of the Windrush generation. Teachers should be aware when reading aloud that some characters’ dialogue is strong Jamaican Patois.

This is a good introduction to books set in different timelines and there is an element of magic as Kerry-Ann is transported to the London of her grandfather’s time to experience some of the battles he witnessed. There is enough storyline outside of cricket to hold the attention of those without a sporting interest and the book manages to cover many themes without them seeming ‘shoe-horned’ in for the sake of it. This story is completely and unapologetically immersed in Kerry-Ann’s culture, past and present.

Abandoned as a young child in Mumbai, Ajay does not have very much; he is orphaned, homeless and must sell newspaper at the railway station in order to survive. But what he lacks in possessions, Ajay more than makes up for in personality, determination and bravery. Ajay has a dream to one day become a famous journalist and he realises that, to make it big in the world of news, you have to find big news. His other ambition is to win the most important cricket match ever…

In a ’David and Goliath’ style, this story shows us that power can come in all shapes and sizes. Ajay uncovers corruption within his city and his loyalty to his community drives him to expose those who seek to take advantage of the innocent and downtrodden. Ajay has a strong moral compass and will fight for equality and fairness.  Varsha Shah’s descriptive writing is vivid and it is easy to imagine the sights, smells, noise and flavours of Mumbai.

There is humour and warmth within the pages of this energetic and optimistic story. The antics of Ajay and his friends often verge on the side of slap stick and there is great joy in the cricket games that feature strongly.