The Maynard School

All That It Ever Meant
This is an amazing story of girl named Mati and how her and her family go on a road trip through Zimbabwe and all try and deal with their grief after the loss of Mati's mother. You definitely need to concentrate at first while you try and wrap your head around each character but then you do get fully into the story and develop your own relationship with each character. I still cannot believe the major twist at the end, I never saw it coming. I would definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone especially someone with a curiosity for different cultures and who wants to get fully invested into a book and it's characters.

Freya

All That It Ever Meant
This book is about a girl called Mati and how she and her family deal with the grief of losing their mum. It shows the difference between African and English culture and explores ideas of loss, grief and family. But also about finding the place where people feel they actually belong. I thought it was quite confusing at the start and it took a while to get into the book but it all makes sense when it is the end and there is a plot twist. Overall I thought it was a beautifully written book.

Sophie

All That It Ever Meant
This book was really enjoyable. It was heartwarming but also sad throughout the book with an un expected plot twist at the end. I would highly recommend it although it took some time to understand it, when you were invested in the story it was a really nice read.

Annie

Little Bang
I really liked Little Bang, I found it hard to get it to at first but then I couldn’t stop. I would definitely recommend it to some one who is just looking for a good, interesting and factual read.

Bella

Play
This was a very interesting book that highlighted many issues facing us today, particularly those of some younger people. For example, its comments on toxic masculinity were sensitively well put. I also enjoyed the different perspectives throughout the book, as it allowed different opinions and situations to be heard, therefore avoiding one sidedness. However, I found the ending to be quite difficult and perhaps to end on a slightly more hopeful note would have enhanced the messages in the book.

Milly

Glasgow Boys
Three years ago, Finlay and Banjo were like brothers, sharing a room in their children's home and, despite their differences, looking out for each other and understanding one another in a way they had never previously experienced in their troubled lives. Then something happened to drive a wedge between the boys, and they have not spoken since. This book explores what is happening in their current lives alongside flashbacks to the event that drove them apart. The dual narrative works well, with each boy experiencing their own set of challenges alongside a shared grief at the seemingly irretrievable loss of their friendship. You will root for both boys and long for a reconciliation, but will they find each other again?

Mrs J.