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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Mystery of Me by Karen McCombie and Cathy Brett (view source)
Revision as of 07:13, 19 July 2017
, 07:13, 19 July 2017no edit summary
Two minutes and thirty-nine seconds can be quite a long time, you know, particularly when you're technically dead. That's what happened to Ketty after the accident which she doesn't remember at all. Her parents were warned that their daughter might have a different temperament when she gets over the trauma, but they're just relieved when it seems that she's going to be OK. Going back to school is a bit of a struggle: people seem a little nervous of Ketty and sometimes she struggles to remember people's names. It's all very frightening and confusing, but there is one person who gives her a lot of support and that's Otis. He might just have the key to what happened in the accident too.
Oh, but this is a stunning story. Karen McCombie captures how Ketty feels perfectly, with that nagging worry that your memory isn't all there and that people know more about you than you do. There's the knowledge too that you're not completely well yet, that you can't stand a lot of noise or crowds and the way that people don't quite know what to say to you. It's insightful and it's going to give kids something to think about when they encounter someone who has been ill, or possibly bereaved. There is, though, a real twist in the tail of this story which completely turns everything on its head and which left me stunned. I'm not even going to give you a clue, but, well... wow! It's a great story, brilliantly told. Kathy Cathy Brett's illustrations complement the story perfectly.
There's a bonus with this book too - or rather the whole basis of this book is something quite special. It's dyslexia friendly. The reading age is eight, but the interest age is eight plus, so it's going to encourage kids who are just a bit slow at picking up the reading habit or who are struggling with the technique. You'll find details of the reading age and interest age just to the right of the barcode on the back of the book - it's not obvious unless you know what you're looking for and kids not going to be embarrassed by it. The super-readable sticker (that's what tells you that it's dyslexia friendly) peels off easily and the cover design looks just like the trendy books the other kids are reading.
