The Amazing Edie Eckhart: Book 1

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Thankfully, since my own childhood, there has been an explosion of LGBTQ+ representation in children’s fiction. LGBTQ+ literature is being discovered, recovered and celebrated, by readers of all ages, and children can finally enjoy stories that they can recognise themselves in. It’s a really lovely story that captures exactly what it is to be eleven and starting a new school - the new routines, the navigating of friendships, new hobbies and becoming more independent. If you are in Australia or New Zealand (DVD Region 4), note that almost all DVDs distributed in the UK by the BBC and 2entertain are encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4. The UK and Australasia are in the same Blu-ray region (B). Edie decides writing in her diary is fun after all. Oscar has been her best friend since kindergarten. Edie knows high school will be fine because Oscar will be there too. Edie is an average eleven-year-old girl; she has a loving family and a best friend named Oscar who shares her love of sausage rolls and Marvel films. She also has cerebral palsy which makes her a little wobbly, more likely to fall over, and a little slower at talking. Edie has always relied on Oscar to help her out – he even carries a special box around with him that includes plasters and spare tights – but at their new school they are put into separate classes and Edie realizes she won’t always be able to rely on him anymore.

A wonderful book about a young girl with cerebal palsy. Edie was a very funny character, perhaps due to some of the likeness from the author herself. The writing style is nostalgic with hints to Jacquelin Wilson. Overall a story about how disability does not define you and is often your greatest asset. But life is far from simple when you move up to big school, and Edie finds herself under pressure to make new friends as her best and only since primary develops new interests and devotes himself to football and his shiny, new girlfriend. I love that the book is written in diary format, it feels like you are right there experiencing it all with Edie and not just viewing her life from a distance. The story is laugh-out-loud funny, with great one-liners and comments that make you think ‘yep, because it’s TRUE’! There is just the right amount of angst and cringe, it is fully relatable to teens/pre-teens.This book is as funny and warm as a sausage roll. I loved it!’ Jenny McLachlan, author of Land of Roar

But then the school organises a camping trip.... complete with muddy walks and team games. It is a DISASTER. The only fun bit is sitting by the fire and telling stories. On top of that Edie is trying to figure out where she fits in: do you have to define all friendships? And can you be a writer AND a performer, or do you have to choose between the two? Edie was a wonderful character but I have to say that I liked her in the end more than in the beginning. There is quite a simple reason for that. In the beginning Edie was a nice girl and a great MC, but she kept using her CP to get out of things (The Card), or expected people to do everything for her because of that. While she is very much able to do things herself. When someone told her no she just would get huffy. And there were some other things that just had me shaking my head. But as the story continued I started seeing a new Edie. One I definitely liked more than the one in the beginning. I saw an Edie who discovered that she can do things. That she can be independent. That her CP doesn’t always work with things, but that there is plenty that she can do. She doesn’t need someone to bring her tights or clean her mouth if she dribbles. It was also great that there were also key characters who told her this, who talked to her. She really grows a lot in that aspect and it was just beautiful. I loved that she discovered that not only is she a great writer, but also a great actor. I loved seeing her embrace her role in the musical and see her try to get through the lines (so many of those). I loved seeing her add a little bit of her own in the character she is playing. De 11-jarige Edie en haar beste vriend Oscar gaan naar de middelbare school. Maar hoe moet het nu Oscar ineens in een andere klas komt en gelijk een vriendinnetje krijgt? Ze heeft altijd genoeg gehad aan haar beste vriend Oscar, maar nu hij druk bezig is moet ze er aan geloven.... ze zal andere vrienden moeten maken. En...zal het haar lukken om tijdens haar eerste schooljaar een date te scoren?

There were some genuinely funny moments (I particularly liked the Stephen King / Stephen Hawking mix up!) But also some tender ones too. The way Edie talked about CP is going to be such a game changer for kids and how they perceive disabilities. And most peeps know how I often feel about little brothers or sisters? Well, I have to say that Louie was just adorable and sweet. I loved how he was with Edie and how Edie was with him. A sparky middle-grade series from TV comedian Rosie Jones. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and DORK DIARIES.

However, I ended up really liking Oscar after reading the whole book because he becomes very supportive when he realises how much Edie enjoys the theatre club. I also really like how patient and kind he is when Edie trips over by carrying a mini first aid kit. Moving On Up is subtitled "Beat the bullies, make fearless friendships and deal with funny fails", and the publishers promise the "ultimate school survival guide for 9 to 11-year-olds". The fact that it is created as diary entries is cool because it has a personal touch. It gives you an idea of how Edie is feeling throughout the book which is especially good at some of the more tense moments in the story. The fact that it is written from Edie’s point of view is interesting because you can read how she felt in different scenarios and you can think whether other characters like Flora or Oscar would have felt acted in a different manner. The book is written in the format of Eddie’s (main characters) personal diary in which she talks about her CP and how it impacts her life but she also talks about the fun, hard, exciting and sometimes boring things in life just like any average teenager. I admire this book because it is the first book or film that I have seen that includes a character that has cerebral palsy.

I didn’t really like Oscar throughout the book because as soon as Edie branches out and finds an interest for her that doesn’t involve him, he becomes quite unsupportive. I think this is quite mean because Edie supports Oscar with his football training and matches. Note: This book will be illustrated. My copy didn't have illustrations included, so I can't comment on them fully, but I've seen sneak peeks that look great. The Secret Sunshine Project follows a young girl called Bea. When Bea attended London Pride with her family , she had one of the best days ever. But after her father dies, Bea and her family move to the countryside to live with her Gran.