Tommy Trouble
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Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by Fangorn is taken from Brian Jacques’ Lord Brocktree (Hutchinson, 0 09 176877 2, £12.99), the thirteenth title in the internationally best-selling Redwall series. Salamandastron, the ancestral home of the Badger Lords, is under threat from Ungatt Trunn, an enemy whose power would seem to be absolute and whose evil knows no bounds. The only hope for survival is the badger Lord Brocktree who is drawn to the fortress by an undeniable sense of destiny. Brian Jacques' masterful storytelling as always spins a web of high adventure that will enthral the reader from the first page to the last. Thanks to Hutchinson Children’s Books for their help in producing this September cover.
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Tommy Trouble
Illustrated by Stephen Player
'Tommy Cameron lay awake, waiting. He watched the curtain shadows fade, and the wall between them pinken as another sun struggled skywards. Tommy listened hard for steps in the street below. There'd been no post from Dad for ages. Maybe today, he thought.' So begins this excellent story, set in Scotland, of young loner, Tommy Cameron, rejected by his peers because of his reading and writing problems. The story is told against a background of Remembrance Day as Tommy is befriended by a sympathetic old soldier, Jack, visiting his elderly sister, who is a resident in the town. Tommy is already missing his dad and when Jack too has to leave, Tommy is not the type to surrender. Beautifully written, this book deals naturally with such subjects as learning difficulties and bonding between young and old people. Potts writes with a sureness of touch, bringing his characters effortlessly to life. This is a warm, rich and rewarding read which is eminently suitable for young fluent readers. Generous double spacing makes it even easier for such readers.
