Having read ‘The Machine Gunners’ by Robert Westall, to by eldest son, he enjoyed it so much we are now reading another of Westall’s books called ‘The Kingdom by the Sea’.

It tells the story of a 12 year old boy called Harry whose family are killed in an air raid and who subsequently tries to make his own way in the world and ends up living in a pill box on the north east coast.

Among other adventures, he befriends a group of soldiers, all of whom are very good to him, except one.

In the chapter I’ve just very uncomfortably read, that one soldier has just tried to interfere with Harry. He cuts a Mars Bar up into nine slices, makes Harry sit on the bed next to him and then proceeds to feed him those pieces while putting his arm around him and squeezing his middle and asking him what he gets up to with the other soldiers.

I could see all this unfolding on the page and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so uncomfortable in all my life!

My son asked me what was going on and the best explanation I could manage was to connect it with what he’s been taught about how his ‘private body’ is only for him and no one else should be allowed to interere with it. He understood that and recognised that the soldier was trying to break that rule but oh my word it genuinely made me feel quite sick.

I was reading a bedtime story to my 6 yr old grandson. It was a Roald Dahl story full of interesting and grotesque characters so I was doing the voices.

Then the little girl went into her local shop – run by a bloke called Raj.

Dilemma: do I do his voice?

Dilemma: do I do his voice?

Interesting question. On the CD version of David Walliams’s ‘Mr Stink’, the shopkeeper of Indian origin is played by Matt Lucas with an Indian accent. If it’s not a negative parody then it’s not a problem.

With both the Machine Gunners and Kingdom by the Sea, I’ve tried to do a Geordie accent but with disastrous results.

I was reading to my eldest two last night and was told by MrsB that I wasn’t putting enough characterisation into it.

Can anyone recommend an accent to characterise neolithic tribesmen & women (I was thinking City Banker)?

Can anyone recommend an accent to characterise neolithic tribesmen & women

What are you reading, Stig of the Dump?

Finished Wolf Brother read a couple of other books now on Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver. The boys love them (No1 son is three chapters ahead of me) but I’ve only just realised that there are 6 in the series

Dilemma: do I do his voice?

Yes, the accent you give depends where he grew up. He good be Glaswegian.

Love The Machine Gunners and the sequel too. Michael Morpurgo is also hugely popular in our home. Pretty much all of his books have been read by all three of the children. We have also enjoyed several as audio books on long journeys in the car too.

We have also enjoyed several as audio books on long journeys in the car too.

Oh well they’re definitely on the list!

GT: I saw “living in a pill box on the north east coast.” and knew exactly where this was going. Great book but I feel for you!
If you want accents look out for the moles in Redwall, although the others in the series aren’t quite as good somehow.

I read to mine nearly every night and agree some books do provoke strange questions.

Have to add I am pleased with the effort being put in by STW in the reading department, it help so much with their education.

Finished Wolf Brother read a couple of other books now on Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver. The boys love them (No1 son is three chapters ahead of me) but I’ve only just realised that there are 6 in the series

Great books those, all of them

Have to add I am pleased with the effort being put in by STW in the reading department, it help so much with their education.

It’s something I absolutely love doing with them and it’s something that in our house at least, is very much a ‘dad thing’ (my wife’s the most unliterate person I know!)

I have a top recommendation for those of you with younger children. There are some short Moomin Valley stories, translated from the original Finnish but keeping the same poetic style, that are just utterly divine.

‘Who Will Comfort Toffle’ is just so poignant and luscious on your tongue when you read it. It’s almost like it ‘tastes’ good, with the sounds and shapes it makes your make with your mouth.

Same for ‘The Dangerous Journey’ and ‘The Adventures of Mymble and My’.

You can read one or two in their entirety for a 20 minutes bed time read.

I shall wear Midnight was a bit uncomfortable when he was 5….

The whole part where the young girl is kicked by her drunken father and mis-carries

^ Just realised I’ve not read that yet. Thaaaaaaaaanks. 😛

I always loved reading so perhaps have encouraged it a lot!

Check out the YA books by Catherine Webb:

Mirror Dreams (2002)
Mirror Wakes (2003)
Waywalkers (2003)
Timekeepers (2004)
The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle (2006)
The Obsidian Dagger: Being the Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle (2006)
The Doomsday Machine: Another Astounding Adventure of Horatio Lyle (2008)
The Dream Thief: An Extraordinary Horatio Lyle Mystery (2010)

The Horatio Lyle books are a sort of Steampunk Sherlock Holmes, but all of the main characters are kids.
Beautifully written, Cat was fourteen when she wrote Mirror Dreams, and fifteen when it was published, so absolutely of an age with her intended readers.
The books are equally readable by adults, though, the first four reminded me of Roger Zelazney, who is an influence as it happens.

Then the little girl went into her local shop – run by a bloke called Raj.

Dilemma: do I do his voice?

I volunteer as a reading helper at a local primary school with a very mixed intake. There’s an 8-year old girl of Indian extraction who normally has a wonderfully strong Bristol accent, but puts on a great Indian one when reading a story with Indian characters.

I volunteer as a reading helper at a local primary school with a very mixed intake. There’s an 8-year old girl of Indian extraction who normally has a wonderfully strong Bristol accent, but puts on a great Indian one when reading a story with Indian characters.

Absolutely T for tremendous. Everything about this put a big smile on my face.