Book Title: Talking to the Moon (available here)
Author: S E Durrant
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Publication Date: March 2020
Most Suitable For: Years 5-6
Reviewed By: Emma Hughes
Iris has moved in with her grandmother, Mimi, because her bedroom at home has damp. This arrangement suits Iris perfectly – she was more than happy to escape the cramped chaos of her home life and move in with the creative, impulsive and imaginative Mimi (everyone calls her Mimi, and no one is really sure why). Living next door is the new boy at the school, Mason. At first, reluctant to befriend him, Iris tries to ignore the unwanted attention. Although this becomes difficult when the teacher sits them next to each other in class. Whilst at Mimi’s, Iris becomes increasingly concerned that some of her behavior cannot be directly attributable to her various eccentricities. Dolloping jam on top of a plate of scrambled eggs is just the beginning. But as her grip on the modern world begins to slip, her memories of the far past spring to life and she begins to open up to Iris and Mason about one of her most treasured possessions, a hand-made bracelet that her father had brought back from war. So, when an almost identical bracelet turns up in a bric-a-brac stall in the lanes of Brighton, the children endeavour to solve the mystery. There are some tender moments between Mimi and Iris as the lines between carer and dependent become increasingly blurred. And Mimi is not ready to be written off; she develops photos in the bathroom, she swims in the English Channel and she talks to the moon. Both characters deal with the ongoing situation using different methods, and what results is a touching story that spans three generations of the same family.
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You can order Talking to the Moon online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to Review Panel member Emma for reviewing it.
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> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
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