A Sea of Stars by Kate Maryom

review by Maryom

Maya's parents always wanted to have a large family but after her baby brother Alfie died they decided not to and to just treasure the daughter they had. A near-accident with a bus makes them even more protective of  Maya, hardly bearing to let her out of their sight. Now at the age of 12, Maya is starting to find this lack of freedom frustrating - she wants to be able to go down to the beach with her friends, to be able to swim and surf without having to have her parents watching all the time.  But her life is about to change completely. Her parents have decided to adopt another daughter. Maya thinks that having a sister will be fun - she'll have someone to play games and go surfing with. Things, of course, don't run that smoothly. Used to individual attention from her parents, Maya now has to share them. Cat is used to far more independence than Maya has - after all for years she's looked after herself and her younger brother because their mother couldn't.
Maya feels that Cat is allowed to get away with doing things and behaving in ways that she would not be allowed.What would happen if she began to behave the way Cat does?

A Sea Of Stars is another excellent 'tweens' novel from Kate Maryon this time set in Cornwall and full of sun, sea and surf.  The story looks at adoption and all its problems from an unusual point of view while still being an engaging and enjoyable read. Stories tend to focus on the child in care looking for a new family or, in adult novels, on the couple wishing to adopt a child. A Sea Of Stars is told from the perspective of the child gaining, or having thrust upon her, a sibling. Maya quickly gains the reader's sympathy as she struggles to cope with the disruption to her life and the seeming unfairness of her parents' attitude towards Cat.

With it's seaside setting this will make a wonderful summer read. Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy fans will also love Kate Maryon.

Maryom's review -  4.5 stars

Publisher - HarperCollins

Genre - 9+, fiction

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Zoo Girl - Rebecca Elliott

Few Words - Big Message
Review By The Mole

Zoo Girl is lonely and friendless until she is left behind at the zoo. She strikes up friendships with the animals and wins the hearts of the zoo keepers and is duly adopted.

The description of the story doesn't do this book justice. Although the illustrations are striking, they are also powerful enough to tell Zoo Girls story with the addition of less than 20 words. Clearly the words sort of 'hang' with so few and this is clearly not an early reader, although it is aimed at the 5+ age group. It is a book with a message and a message it tells very powerfully.

An excellent book to illustrate adoption to the very young.

Publisher - Lion Children's
Genre - Children's 5+


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