Encore, Grace!

The latest in a series which began with the picture book Amazing Grace, this title consists of eight linked stories introducing poor little rich girl Crishell to Grace and her friends.

‘Maybe what you don’t like is change’ suggests Grace’s supportive Trinidadian Nana, and attitudes to change are what this book is all about – Crishell’s intrusion into the group of friends, Mum’s new boyfriend, the death of an elderly friend, a best friend moving away, and secondary school on the horizon. In the face of this, the stories are affirming and positive, encouraging sensitivity and assertiveness in Grace and her friends (both boys and girls), if in a rather self-conscious and perhaps overly didactic style. One of Crishell’s problems is an eating disorder created by her high-achieving but emotionally distant mother – this could be a useful awareness-raiser as issues of body image creep in ever younger.

The book is produced in a clear, fresh format, illustrated with pencil drawings reflecting some of the emotions encountered along the way, and if Grace and her friends seem unrealistically mature in their reactions, the warmth of relationships they experience is key.