My Funny Family on Holiday by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish
| My Funny Family on Holiday by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish | |
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| Category: Emerging Readers | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: It's the second in this feel-good series but can be read as a standalone. It's mercifully free of too many high-tech gadgets and long plugs for the next book in the series. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 144 | Date: January 2013 |
| Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0340989852 | |
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Mattie Butterfield and her family are going on holiday to Cornwall and as ever for Mattie there's lots for her to worry about. What if they lost one of them on the train to Cornwall? What if someone fell over the edge of the cliff? What if... As usual Mattie can think of all sorts of things which could go wrong and it looks as though her worst fears are going to be realised when the family manages to leave Jellico the dog on the station platform. It's a long journey to the south - eight hours on the train and then another hour on the bus to get them to the campsite, but after a couple of days they've all settled into a relaxed way of life. Mattie makes friends with a local boy too - although strangely enough no one else can see him.
We first met Mattie and the Butterfields in My Funny Family and we've moved on just a little. All the family now know that Mum is going to have a baby at Christmas but there's time to enjoy the summer holiday first. There's lot of fun to be had playing on the beach and exploring and whilst that might seem a little tame to children used to more high-tech pursuits there's a drama which had me holding my breath and a mystery which runs through to the final pages.
I love the fact that there's no nastiness in this series. Things might go wrong, but it's accidental rather than because someone intends the problem to happen. The Butterfields are a big, happy family who make the most of what they have and who look after each other. Even as an adult I felt good after reading the book and it's one I'd feel happy giving to any girl in the 7+ age group, particularly as it's perfectly formed for the emerging reader.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
The book read perfectly well as a standalone but you will get more out of it if you've read My Funny Family first. Both books are mercifully free of long excerpts from 'the next book in the series': you will probably end up buying the books but it will be on merit rather than because pester power has been at work.
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You can read more book reviews or buy My Funny Family on Holiday by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy My Funny Family on Holiday by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish at Amazon.com.
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