Shine

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Just when you think it might be getting a little bit samey around the 50% mark, it makes a very clever plot revelation which livens things up and later on about 75%, there is another very sneaky plot shift which changes the direction of where the book heads. The ending was not what I expected, but it is beautifully worked, as the author fans the story out into a much bigger picture and a potential sequel. Often in novels of this ilk, frustratingly many questions go unanswered, but this is not the case in The Watchers, where there are a refreshing number of answers. This is a great spin on the classic cabin-in-the-woods story, but it brings clever and fresh ideas to proceedings and gleefully refuses to sit on the fence. Many novels would have hedged their bets; are the creatures real, or is it all in the character’s heads? Make no mistake, very early on in The Watchers the reader realises they are very real and the manner in which they were presented is highly unsettling and slightly reminiscent of Josh Malerman’s Birdbox. She learns early on (firsthand) she is in the middle of two universes. She does not want to be in Harlem as she does not fit in, as a light milky cream color and wants a better education. Nor does she fit in a white world at Dalton. Ruth is smart and wants to learn, unlike her sister, Rachel. She is even a much lighter color than her sister. With Ruth’s Mama working for Ms Mina it meant that her daughter Christina and Ruth were friends, playing and spending time while Ruth’s Mama was working, then travelling home on their bus to Harlem. Eight and a half year old Ruth Brooks had left her old school in Harlem and was about to start school on a scholarship at Dalton in New York’s Upper East Side. She was both excited and nervous – Christina would be the only person she knew…

Nothing broke my heart in this book, and I loved it! It was such a cute, dynamic story that kept me wanting more (even though it only took me a day to read). Soon Ruth feels uncomfortable when the class has an assignment of drawing their family. Would her mama be on Christina’s drawing and Ruth’s? Could she and Christian possibly be more alike than different? What we most love about all the Shine books for SEN is the author’s intrinsic understanding of children’s self confidence, and the clear link between social relationships with peers, and levels of self confidence in children. Friendships are massively important. While a teacher’s (and teaching assistant’s) knowledge and understanding of each SEN provides the necessary foundation for their learning, what is most important to each character’s experience and feelings of self worth revolves around their classmates thoughts and reactions. I may be incredibly naive, but the entire time I was reading, I just kept asking myself - are kids really this mean? Granted it’s been quite some time since I was in third grade and I don’t have any kids, but still. Are kids this young really spewing such hatred? There’s no way they understand the ramifications of their hurtful comments or even fully grasp what they’re saying, so how exactly are they learning to behave this way? It's scary to think about. Ms. Mina is her mama’s employer and Christina's mom. Ruth's mama is a housekeeper for the wealthy white family. They were a good family and helped her attain a full scholarship, but she had done the work, taken a test and done well. She was grateful for this incredible opportunity and wanted to make her mama proud. She wanted her to have a good education, so she could make something of herself.Kim Gruschow, Readings (Australia). Shine is a cleverly addictive and mysterious novel filled with warm characters and moments that do ultimately shine over menacing presences. Read the Review. The Bookbag. This is a story of hopes and dreams and a refusal to accept a life limited by others. It's about past mistakes threatening the present and the future. It's about the power of myths. The fear of ghosts. It's about loneliness and grief and prejudice. But it's more than that. Shine is a story of the redeeming power of love. It's about growing up. It's about setting yourself - and other people - free. It's about the right to choose your own path. And this makes it utterly life-affirming. We love Candy Gourlay in these here parts. And we love Shine too. Read the Review. Our hope at Shine is that our books can help to normalise a range of SEN (special educational needs) conditions within society. Shine Books w ere created primarily for 3-8 year olds, but there is no set age limit! We are passionate about taking away the stigma that often comes with them, and we believe that educating children from a young age in this area can have a positive impact on acceptance and understanding across society.​​​​’ Luna's Little Library. Shine has a charm that I love so much from fairytales. I was really happy reading and think it’ll be one of those books I’ll re-read on a regular basis. Recommend it? Absolutely. Read the Review. Priya (A Panda With Dyspraxia) is a lovely character who finds physical skills more challenging than her peers. This book touches on the relief of receiving a diagnosis, something many families and children with SEN will probably relate to, and how parents can find ways to limit the impact of a condition such as dyspraxia on their child’s every day life. Priya is embarrassed and worried by the prospect of her peers reacting to some of the equipment and items put in place to assist her. She is happily reassured by her classmates, who don’t seem to notice some of the items Priya is worried about, and who are very positive about the items they do notice.

Throughout the book, we see Piper connect in small ways to her deceased mother. It’s heartwarming to watch Piper become the woman she wants to be, and the woman her mother would be proud she became. Charlie (A Chimpanzee With ADHD) immediately became our favourite character – and one we could relate to! Charlie is a happy chimp, full of energy, initially misunderstood and labelled ‘naughty’. The book highlights the difficulty children with ADHD face in class, when sitting still and listening for any length of time is so difficult. We love the explanation the teacher gave to Charlie and his friends when he was diagnosed with ADHD – ‘he was a bit like a bottle of fizzy drink, and every now and again he just needed to take the lid off and let the bubbles out!‘ Charlie’s teacher and teaching assistant provide Charlie with some excellent coping and learning strategies which result in Charlie enjoying school, and making some great friends too.Shine books introduce us to six character with SEN: Alice, an Aardvark with Autism; Charlie, a Chimpanzee with ADHD; Dylan, a Dog with Dyslexia; Emma, an Ele phant with Epilepsy; Ollie, an Otter with OCD; and Priya, a Panda with Dyspraxia. Contemporary fans may like this one, particularly if you are interested in stories about racial differences. What if in the future they had a piece of the moment Ruth was living right now? It made her feel like yesterday and tomorrow weren’t all that far away from each other. What if there was a bigger world than her world- bigger than the boundaries of her imagination.