Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
July 5, 2016/in Fiction 8-10 Junior/Middle /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 219 July 2016
Reviewer: Ferelith Hordon
ISBN: 978-1848125117
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Piccadilly Press
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 256pp
Buy the Book

A Library of Lemons

Author: Jo Cotterill

Calypso is a bookworm. This is hardly surprising. Her father, never very sociable, has become increasingly reclusive since the death of his wife. He is completely absorbed in writing a magnum opus: The History of Lemons. In any case he believes in Inner Strength. Though Calypso finds solace in the adventures and friends she makes within the covers of the books she reads, she has never realised how lonely she is – nor how strange her life – until Mae arrives at school.

Jo Cotterill here takes a topic made familiar in the novels of Jacqueline Wilson – that of the young carer. In Calypso and Mae the author has created two very likeable and distinct characters. Her adults are believable creating a solid backdrop to the friendship of the two girls without requiring too much depth – though how  Calypso and her father have survived is hazy. The author’s style attractive and contemporary without jarring. We enter Calypso’s world with ease. This is a warm-hearted story with a suitably happy resolution that would appeal to young readers who have discovered those favourites from the past – What Katy Did, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables – all of which are cited. Indeed, if they have not been discovered, I would hope the young reader might be encouraged to seek them out. Recommended for all those KS2 readers who do not want magic but do want a slice of life.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2016-07-05 13:39:002021-07-02 12:40:03A Library of Lemons

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Effervescent, scintillating, riveting!’ Collection of ‘colossal’ word poems wins the CLiPPA

June 20, 2025

Winners of the 2025 Carnegie Medals announced

June 19, 2025

Inclusive Books for Children book-gifting scheme expands again

June 18, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Wolf and the Shadow Monster Dancing in the Rain
Scroll to top