Posted on: 31/03/2021
With spring sprung, daylight-saving clock-changes and the lockdown restrictions easing, some of us are perhaps dreaming of the outdoors: yearning for adventure, travel or just a change of scene. And we can’t help but think that adventures this spring and summer will be simple yet wholesome affairs, possibly involving canvas, cycling and the exploration of Britain’s beauty spots. Consider this literature review something of a package deal: one which includes accommodation, transport and ideas for excursions of both the physical and of the mind.
Last summer, tent sales soared! But even before travel was permitted and at a time when the stay-at-home order had first been introduced, many families did spots of camping in their own back gardens, some pitched tents (play and real) indoors and some people even turned their homes into resort hotels in order just to do something… anything… a bit different! This year, in anticipation of things opening up by summer, many campsites, caravans and other forms of accommodation have already been booked up in the knowledge that international travel will most probably still be problematic. Indeed, as this review is being written, the law preventing foreign holidays has just come into force in England. So, we feel that this lovely new adventure journal from b small publishers – something that is both activity as well as information book – could prove to be the perfect companion for a local holiday. Inside the first page of text there is an introduction in the form of a ‘how to use this book’ guide. Children are invited to try the activities in any order they wish and to use the colour-coded contents list to help them make their selections. The pages are filled with information about all things outdoors such as the ‘Following footsteps’ section on animal-tracking, with advice such as thinking about where animals look for food as that’s where you might find footprints. There are some really good examples of instructional language and vocabulary as part of the explanations around some of these fun activities. For example, on page 24, children are invited to use the sun to create a camp compass. Starting early in the morning in order to identify the East as being the direction the sun rises, instructions are given on how to create a compass with marked stones. Interspersed with spaces for the children to record activities, food-eaten and designs for new camps, are also some ‘daily dares’. These are more like challenges but one – to create a campfire song, where lists of rhyming camping- related words are provided– could inspire children to write creatively and families to play together. Perfect for a wide age- range, this would be ideal especially in the event of poor weather whilst on a camping holiday this summer!
Cycling has seen something of a Renaissance during the pandemic. Many people have dusted down old bikes, rediscovering the joys of riding for riding’s sake and revelled in the fact that there was far less traffic on the road certainly in the first full national lockdown. Online second-hand selling sites have seen a roaring trade in pushbike sales, and brand-new bikes from shops have been hard to come by (as have spare parts!) Some people have purchased faster bikes and full sets of Lycra in which to ride them in; some have wobbled off having not ridden for years and some have learnt for the very first time. Many local authorities around the country took the decision last spring to create temporary designated cycle lanes in order to support the observation of social distancing guidance and to separate the hordes of cyclists that were seen in some places from pedestrians. Many such cycle lanes are now reportedly set to become permanent features. It’ll be interesting to see to what extent the U.K.’s new -found love of cycling is sustained in years to come. So this book - a fantastic foray into the world of cycling and all things ‘bike’ for children, could not have come at a better time.
Author, Peter Drinkell, makes a bold start with his opening gambit: Allow me to be a boring old fart for a moment and tell you about my first bike. He then goes on to say that This book is there any young person who has been similarly bitten by the cycling bug. But don’t be mistaken in thinking that this is a book only for the purists amongst us: it really is a book for anyone who happens to be into bikes, however much. Then follows a section on the history of bikes; a section on finding the right bike for you; handy size-guides on wheel dimensions, corresponding with suggested age, height and ‘inseam’ (inside foot-saddle leg-length) ranges and there’s even a step-by-step guide to how to measure this. Other sections include information about bike maintenance and cycling technique, including learning how to brake safely, all interspersed with inspirational quotes from other enthusiasts (elite and otherwise) right down to references to popular culture including the iconic lines from Queen’s Bicycle Race (1978): I don’t believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman; all I wanna do is bicycle, bicycle, bicycle…
This book would make the perfect gift and would also be a brilliant addition to upper key stage 2 book corners, especially with a view to children taking part in cycling proficiency!
For fans of David Almond’s wild, natural settings and characterisation, Bone Music is a haunting read that expertly melds together past and present. It is an exploration of what binds us together and the inextricable links between human beings; physical spaces and places in time making it the purest of escapism.
Set in the wilds of Northumberland, Sylvia and her mum have come to stay for some respite from city life, leaving behind all that is familiar. It is a remote place with the history of thousands of years and thousands of peoples; their – and the earth’s - stories kept alive through music. Befriending local teen Gabriel, Sylvia learns more about herself than she perhaps thought possible. And there is a sense of her discovering an ability – a need – to connect and engage with nature and with all that the past might hold of us: If her mind was a forest, she thought, were there clearings like this in her mind, remnants of ancient Sylvias? We follow Sylvia – and her mother, actually – on a journey of self-discovery and a change of scene of both mind and soul. A coming-of-age story that, ultimately, taps into our inner wild and explores the idea of rebirth in order to reinvent and redefine. Perfect for young teens considering their place in the world and discovering who they really are. And the musical element – connecting present to past through the playing of bones as they once would have been… exquisite! The Dam (also by David Almond; illustrated by Levi Pinfold) for which we have just published a Year 5 ‘catch-up and recover’ planning sequence would provide a lovely precursor to this text in terms of the setting and its history. Most suitable for a mature Year 6+ child due to the references to relationships and suicide which are made in matter-of-fact yet gentle ways. A hope-filled, original read.
Posted in: Literature Review
