Star for a Day by Jean Ure
| Star for a Day by Jean Ure | |
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| Category: Dyslexia Friendly | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A great story for the mid-tween girl that's also dyslexia friendly. It ticks all the boxes. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 64 | Date: March 2014 |
| Publisher: Barrington Stoke | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1781123584 | |
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Lucy French (Luce to her grandad) is thirteen and she lives with said Grandad, Mum - and eleven-year-old Lola. Lola's the one who gets all the attention, is able to loosen Mum's purse strings with a pout of her lip and who was upset when she only got Highly Commended in last year's Talent Show. This year she will, of course, require a completely new outfit and the undivided attention of the family - and that not long after she's had a new outfit to go to a party. Lola is gorgeous, bubbly and brims over with confidence.
Lucy isn't - and doesn't.
That's not to say that she's ugly. Her hair might be the colour of mud but at her age I would have done anything for hair like that. Lucy's just got other talents. She's good at school - and she loves her grandad to bits. Lola is performing the Sugar Plum Fairy in the talent show and it's his idea that Lola should do some clog dancing - just like her grandmother taught her when she was young. Lola's sceptical but Grandad knows a thing or two.
Ah, it's a lovely story, but then it's Jean Ure. What do you expect? There's often a child in the family who takes all the attention and knows how to manipulate, who always seems to get that bit more than their fair share. And it's not just the material goods by which the others are short changed. There's a loss of confidence and self worth - and Ure captures that perfectly. They might roll their eyes at what's happening, but they can be lining up for a lifetime of knowing that they're always going to be the one who won't mind. Lucy isn't going to be like that though and the marvellous thing is that she does it, not by engineering Lola's downfall (don't you hate books that work on that principle?) but by achieving something herself. HURRAH!
There's another bonus with this book. It's dyslexia friendly. The paper on which the story is printed is thick so that there's no chance of whatever's on the reverse showing through, which can be a distraction. For the same reason the paper has a matt finish - shiny paper can make reading more difficult - and it has a creamy-yellow colouring which is easier on the eye. The font - one specifically designed by Barrington Stoke - is double spaced. Even people who are not dyslexic - and particularly reluctant readers - will find that all these factors make reading easier.
This book has a reading age of eight and an interest age of nine so it's very suitable for girls who just need that little bit of extra help and encouragement. But are tweens going to want to be seen reading the book? Well, there's a 'dyslexia friendly' sticker on the cover which peels off easily and there is then nothing to distinguish this from a book published by a mass-market publisher. The cover is completely in line with other books for this age group and the author is well known and respected. What's not to like? I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then we can also recommend Bright Star by Jenny Oldfield.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Star for a Day by Jean Ure 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 Star for a Day by Jean Ure at Amazon.com.
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