The Amazing Edie Eckhart: Book 1

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Edie has Cerebral Palsy. Before I read this book, I didn’t know what Cerebral Palsy was, but I do now, and Edie tells us how she’d like people to talk to her about it. I really liked the way it was written as Edie’s diary. It’s like a friend chatting to you and you learn about her feelings. Edie is also very funny. Written in diary format with awesome illustrations by Natalie Smillie, the story follows Edie - an eleven year old girl from Bridlington, Yorkshire, as she starts secondary school. Edie has cerebral palsy, a great family, a best friend called Oscar, and a positive, sunny disposition. Rosie's debut non-fiction book, Moving On Up: Beat The Bullies, Make Fearless Friendships And Deal With Funny Fails.

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. I wish there was more books like this when I was younger that I could’ve shared with my friends that were both educational, fun and interesting instead of being solely awareness focused. 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. Characters: Edie is positive and bold, but still has to go through struggles of school, friends, boyfriends and daily disability struggles.

But there was one day I looked forward to all year: World Book Day. World Book Day meant costumes and games and reading. It meant talking, all day, about my favourite thing: books. For a day, my classmates and I became witches, wizards, kings, and queens. We could become someone else. Using verse rather than prose, the book follows Stevie’s thoughts and inner monologue, not only focussing on her feelings but also on her parental relationships, anxiety, friendships, and love of reading. And it is Stevie’s love of reading, especially about sea-creatures, that leads her to research in a library. We also meet some other girls, Georgia was eventually pretty nice but dang that girl needs to understand that there are some things you shouldn’t say. XD Poppy was such a sweetheart. Oscar makes new friends playing football, and Olivia wins a place in the school musical. Boyfriends and girlfriends complicate school. How do they sort out their friendship, and do they make new friends?

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. But while she's plotting her reunion with Oscar, she accidentally gets cast as the lead in the school play. As Edie discovers a passion for performance, she also finds new friendships, talents, and dreams. After all, it's easy to shine on and off the stage when you're Amazing with a capital A. 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. Edie is my new role model, her bravery and positivity are contagious. I can’t wait to read more of her adventures from Rosie Jones. 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.LOVE IT! Wat mij betreft een must-have qua thematiek. En fantastisch lekker geschreven voor en vanuit kind/tiener(perspectief). This book is as funny and warm as a sausage roll. I loved it!’ Jenny McLachlan, author of Land of Roar