TWGGS Carnegie Shadowers

Birdie
I chose to review Birdie, as I think it explores heavy and important themes, such as post-war racism and a young girl's search for belonging. This book raises awareness about racism after WW2, a little known topic. Birdie is what was historically known as a “brown baby”, which was when a black American soldier had a relationship with white British woman, resulting in a mixed race child. Because of the intense social scrutiny that the mother would face, children were often put into special homes for mixed race children, separating children from their mothers. Birdie carries a deep sadness with her, and a longing to know her mother, who she has never even met. As a mixed-race girl, I can identify with some of the feelings Birdie experiences throughout the book. For example, when she arrived at the village of Barrington-Dale, everyone except Birdie is white, and almost everybody apart from the kind Vicar is racist and prejudiced against her. This creates a feeling of isolation, one I can identify with. In some parts of Tunbridge Wells, and in the villages like Southborough, there are hardly any black or mixed race people. Seeing how Birdie has to navigate being an outsider made the book feel incredibly relatable and real. Overall, Birdie is a powerful reminder of how essential belonging is, no matter a person's age, background or race, exposing a hidden part of British history and emphasizing that everybody deserves to belong.

Freya

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast paced book, full of compassionate characters and unlikely heroes. It uses anthropomorphism to show the struggles at the beginning of secondary school through different animals. I would definitely recommend this book as an enjoyable, unputdownable, quick read for children aged 8-12.

Holly

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien Wolf Siren is a fantasy novel that is a dark fairy tale retelling of the classic story of Red Riding Hood. It explores themes of feminism, belonging, family dynamics and embracing disabilities, difficult subjects, but this story is beautifully written and kept me hooked until the very last page. The story follows Red, a defiant 14 year old girl who is visually impaired and relies on colour and movement to differentiate her surroundings. She lives in an isolated village surrounded by a forbidden forest. The villagers live in fear of the woods as there is a long history of men being attacked by vicious wolves but when Red sneaks past the borders she discovers a deep magical connection to the wilderness around her, however threatening to disrupt the fragile order of the village. The novel brilliantly explores feminism shown through oppressive traditions and patriarchal themes. The mayor of the village restricts female freedom while the women of the village act as protectors against the “frightening” wolves. Unlike the men, the women are drawn to the woods and it acts like a safe magical space free from the expectations of society. The novel also addresses disabilities, depicted as a strength rather than a flaw. Ultimately, I would give Wolf Siren 5/5 because it was such a spell-binding book that retold the story of Red Riding Hood in a more modern approach that I couldn't put down. I would definitely recommend it to someone who loves fantasy stories with a sharp feminist bite!

Bethany

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O Brien is about feminism and is similar to Red Riding Hood. The book is about Red who goes into a forbidden forest where she learns dark secrets ,magic and injustice. I really loved this book because Beth O Brien tells the story from the view of Red. Experiencing the dangerous woods via Red's eyes makes her journey feel incredibly personal and immersive. The magical atmosphere and the mysterious tone keep you hooked into the story from the very first page turning a familiar childhood fairytale into a powerful story about feminism. We also get to see Red form a powerful, unexpected friendship with the wolves of the forest. Instead of viewing them as the dangerous monsters like her village taught her to fear, Red begins to understand them and realizes that they are the ones in danger. This deep bond encourages her to become their protector, fighting against the cruel plans of the villagers. Watching Red risk everything to shield her wolf companions adds a sense of loyalty and bravery to the story, making it an inspiring book to read.

Karthika

Wolf Siren
What if Red Riding Hood was 'with' the wolves? In this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, we follow Red who lives in a world haunted by wolves and mystery but she has a secret as well…. From Red’s point of view, we explore the small village where nothing is as it seems; Red’s mother seems to be hiding a dark secret behind her walls but who can be sure? While Red still has a scarlet cloak, everything else couldn't be farther from the fairy tale; from the harmless naïve little girl forms a dark twisting story with much that is better left unsaid. This book is a great page-turner and I really liked the descriptions; it felt like you were really there! While there are one or two slightly more adult themes overall definitely give it a go. With words like vivid and wrenching it transports you into the books, always a great sign! This book uses the power of implication to suggest what isn’t said, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks and make it their own. Overall I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy a dark fantasy or the classic fairy tales as I really enjoyed it as a person who loved fairy tales and Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Isla