Yvonne
Synopsis
“Dad thinks I’m a nuisance” It may be sunny but Emma’s perfect world seems to be unravelling in front of her.
First her friend Becca started being horrible to EVERYONE and now Daddy is ignoring her and acting weird.
Emma can’t help but worry that it is all her fault and as the storm clouds gather over her Dad she feels more and more guilty and responsible.
If only she could get everything back to normal. This summer she realises that growing up can be a rollercoaster and maybe, just maybe, she should relax and enjoy the ride.
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About The Author
Miranda Newboult grew up in East Sussex and now lives five miles from where she was born. She spent most of her childhood with her nose in a book but did manage to find time to go to school at Roedean and then do a degree in English and Related Literature at York University. She now works for Canterbury Christ Church University as a Consultant in Leadership and Management Development and spends the rest of her time looking after her young family and an ever-increasing number of animals. Emma’s Stormy Summer is Miranda’s first novel.
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Miranda says:
“When I was growing up I read books all the time but never dreamed I would write one myself. Books were my escape rather than my reality. I was a child who enjoyed school and my most inspirational teachers were those that taught English and shared my passion for people who existed both on paper and in the imagination.
I am not a fussy reader, many different genres catch my attention, and when I start a book, I always finish it, totally immersed in the story. When I started to write, I experienced something similar. I was nagged and harassed by the story, only finding peace once I had committed the words to paper – I was being pestered to tell the tale. I hope I continue to be for a long time.”
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My Thoughts About The Book
Children’s or YA fiction is not a genre that I would usually read, however, after exchanging messages with Miranda’s publisher, Tannbourne Ltd. who are themselves a newly formed company and have ‘Emma’s Stormy Summer’ as their first published book, they offered to send me a copy to read/review.
Not being one to ever turn down a book, I decided to use the exercise to ascertain just how much children’s literature has moved on since I was a child, as never having had children of my own, I have not had to keep pace with this no doubt, evolving and changing market.
‘Emma’s Stormy Summer’, is aimed at the 8-12 year age group and from talking with other bloggers I learned that, yes, little girls do still like to read ‘nice’ books and having researched the marketplace came to the conclusion that Miranda is up there with her contemporaries in the genre, dealing as she does, with real life, important and difficult issues in her book, in a sympathetic and engaging way, without being at all patronising or over emotional.
Through Emma, Miranda weaves a story of contemporary family relationships, with their inherently poignant and touching moments, uplifting gentle moments, high drama and humour.
‘Emma’s Stormy Summer’, has captured the joys, fears and uncertainties that surround young girls approaching adolescence, with all their social dynamics and strong themes of family and friendships, especially the special bond and relationship which exists between mother and daughter.
Issues are dealt with in a mature and adult way, with great honesty being the central linchpin of the whole book.
Despite the difficult, often emotional content of the book, the bright cheerful cover, epitomises a child’s innate sense of resilience and their built-in ability to deal with life’s events as they happen, something which is often lost to us in later years.
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I was invited to read this book by Miranda’s publisher Tannbourne Ltd., themselves a new publisher on the scene.
As such, this copy was provided as a PDF file and was free of charge.
This in no way influenced any comments I may have expressed about the book, in any review I may have compiled. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this review.
I probably would not read this book becase YA does not interest me very much…But, it’s nice to see your review of it.
In regard to your comment on my blog….I have taken thousands of pictures in my lifetime and am kind of known for my photographs. I have posted lots and lots of photographs on my blog—Perhaps you should poke around more on my blog to get a feel for my photography….The one thing I did not know about this camera was that you can take timed pictures…I honestly haven’t had need for that lovely possibility–And since I know now, (Thanks Rashbre) I will do doubt use that option at some point….Check out my Hummingbird pictures—Summer of 2007….!
Hi Naomi,
Children’s books are not a genre that I read widely, but I was genuinely interested to see how writing styles and story content have moved on, since the time of my youth, when Enid Blyton was my favourite author, whose books I devoured at every opportunity.
I must admit that I have not trawled back through your blog archives further than the time when I started to follow you. Your photographs since then, of your lovely birthday party and George’s fantastic mosaics, are excellent, so I am now off to investigate the Hummingbirds!!
I definitely want to use photographs more in my blog, so perhaps I shall be contacting you for some tips in the near future. I really am quite bad.!!!!
This is the lovely email I just received from Ellen, the editor of Tannbourne Ltd.
Hi Yvonne
Many thanks for sending me these details and a big thank you for such a thoughtful and fair review of the book. I think your review really emphasises the key features that I would like buyers to be aware of when considering purchase.
I am so delighted that you have also posted a review on the Amazon pages for the book. I have been literally praying for someone to put a review on Amazon but I wanted it to “just happen” rather than be urging people to do so.
Once again, many thanks and I hope your website continues to prosper (it is a very impressive site).
Miranda and Tannbourne are both on Facebook and Twitter etc so I will over the next few days start uploading links.
I will also separately send you some information about Tannbourne’s next title and you can see if it sounds worth a read.
Many thanks and Best Regards
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thanks so much for the lovely email, your comments are much appreciated.
I can only reiterate my earlier comments, when I say that I wish both yourselves at Tannbourne and of course Miranda, all the very best for the future.
I hope that our paths may cross again in the not too distant future.
This certainly sounds like a book I’d have read when I was a kid (if it had been about).
Hi Nikki,
I have to give credit to Cath over at Read_ Warbler, http://read-warbler.blogspot.com/ for the part about little girls (in this case her grandaughter) still wanting to read ‘nice’ books.
I guess it all depends on your interpretation of nice!
When I was a child, all the books seemed to involve perfect families, mum, dad, 2.4 children etc. Hard hitting issues like unemployment, divorce, death of a loved relative and bullying, were certainly not for children’s ears and was definitely not the sort of reading material that I would have had access to.
In these more open and liberal times however, this book deals with some of the troubling issues in an open and practical way, to reflect the maturity of its modern young audience.