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{{infobox infobox2
|title=Beryl Goes Wild
|author=Jane Simmons
|buy=Yes
|borrow= Yes
|format=Hardback
|pages=224
|publisher= Orchard Books
|date= May 2008
|isbn= 978-1846166204
|amazonukaznuk=<amazonuk>1846166209</amazonuk> |amazonusaznus=1846166209|cover=<amazonus>1846166209</amazonus>
}}
Amber takes Beryl home with her and she meets up with Uncle Bert and the Sisterhood of the Mystic Boar. Uncle Bert tells Beryl that he's very sorry but she can't stay with them in the settlement as rules are rules and rule number one says that no other type of animal is allowed to live in the settlement. No one is quite certain why the rule is there but rules are rules as Uncle Bert has already said. In the end the pigs in the settlement split, with some going with Beryl and Amber to look for a new home.
It's a rollicking adventure as the pigs brave the wild and the towns in their quest to find somewhere they can all live together. In the course of the journey , they meet animals they've only heard about before and realise that not everyone who is different is actually dangerous. In fact , some of them help the pigs to safety.
It's a gentle story about diversity and the horrors of factory farming, delivered with what would be a heavy hand for the adult market but for the target age group it more than passes muster. It was another pig who forced Beryl into danger but wild pigs are willing to risk all to help her. There is a road accident which left a tear in my eye, but it's still a splendid adventure story with some animals you can't help but love.
The book is ideal for the newly confident reader. It's of a size that fits comfortably into small hands and there are illustrations – delightful pencil drawings – on each double -page spread. The vocabulary is gently challenging and never patronising. You might like to consider how you will deal with questions about pregnancy if this is not a word – or a concept – which has been encountered before.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
For more animal stories we can recommend [[Born To Run by Michael Morpurgo]] or [[Come On Daisy! by Jane Simmons]].
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