Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah

Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah
Buy Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Zoe Morris
Summary: Amber is trying to do the right thing but gets herself in a bit of trouble. Can she sort everything out without hurting the one person she was trying to help? Let's hope so.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 272	Date: March 2014
Publisher: Chicken House
ISBN: 978-1908435644
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Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto has a very long name. I have a very short name, so I can’t relate. But I’m with her on other issues. Like how hard it is to start secondary school and try to make new friends when you’re not quite like everyone else. Maybe you’re a bit smaller than the other girls. Maybe you’re of an interesting heritage (say, half Italian, half Japanese). Maybe one of your parents has gone AWOL. Maybe you don’t have all the right gear you need to blend in – sometimes a caveman mobile phone just won’t cut it. Ambra has all of these things working against her, AND a name that makes it sound like she’s identifying with an item of underwear, so it’s no wonder she’s changed it to Amber in a bid to fit in.

This is a funny and sweet book that shows how sometimes your very best intentions can go a bit, well, wrong. When she gets herself into a bit of a sticky situation it seems like there’s no way out, but can she come clean to her family about what she’s done? For me, Bella really stole the show and although I worried what the secret would do to her, in the end everything was ok.

I really respected the author for the way this book ended. It wasn’t too Hollywood, and doesn’t give false hopes to children in a similar situation. But it’s nice, and everyone’s happy, and that’s all that really matters. It’s a great book about a modern family structure, and sometimes I feel there aren’t enough of those out there who pull it off well.

This is a nicely presented book that has well spaced text and lots of pictures to fit in with the idea that Amber likes to draw all the time. At one point she says Drawing sorts me out because I can draw the world better than it is which I thought was rather sweet and something many readers would relate to. The language is quite simple, informal (we have wee wee and lots of cool) and chatty and there’s a ton of dialogue too which is easier to read than long winded sentences. I’m not the biggest fan of authentic (i.e. poorly spelt or ungrammatical) letters in books, but this one wasn’t too bad and helped highlight the difference between big sister and little sister.

Overall, I was impressed by this book. It was just the sort of thing I would have gone for about age 10 and I know lots of little girls who will love it.

Thanks go to the publishers for supplying this book.

A Horse For Angel by Sarah Lean stars a girl similar in age to Amber and was warmly received by our reviewer.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah 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 Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah at Amazon.com.

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