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Jump to navigationJump to searchBlue Moon by Jenny Oldfield (view source)
Revision as of 09:11, 18 August 2017
, 09:11, 18 August 2017no edit summary
It's a lovely story and Jenny Oldfield captures the location - the Rocky mountains in the USA - perfectly, and on a personal level I felt Anna's fear when she thought that she was going to lose Blue Moon, that she was going to stay with her mother's friend in Denver and when she returned to the ranch Blue Moon would have been sold. A great deal of skill goes into bringing such details out in such a small page count, particularly as the text is broken up by Gary Blythe's excellent illustrations. There's real tension in the story and despite my gut instinct that there would be a happy ending (there is!) I was on the edge of my seat until I knew how it worked out.
You might be wondering about the low page count. Well the book is dyslexia freindly friendly and is aimed at children who, for whatever reason, are struggling with reading. The paper on which the story is printed is thick so that there's no chance of whatever's on the reverse showing through, which can be a distraction. For the same reason the paper has a matt finish - shiny paper can make reading more difficult - and it has a creamy-yellow colouring which is easier on the eye. The font - one specifically designed by Barrington Stoke - is double spaced and not justified (so you don't lose your place quite so easily). Even people who are not dyslexic - and particularly reluctant readers - will find that all these factors make reading easier.
This book has a reading age of eight and an interest age of eight to twelve and you could probably extend this into the early teens. But are early teens and upper tweens going to want to be seen reading the book? Well, there's a 'super readable' sticker on the cover which peels off easily and there is then nothing to distinguish this from a book published by a mass-market publisher. The cover is stunning and the author is well known and respected. What's not to like? I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
