Morris Gleitzman

This is a humorous but deeply moving story about Colin who refuses to believe that his younger brother is dying of cancer and decides to take things into his own hands. Colin decides to go to the top for help, to none other than the Queen. Colin's efforts to penetrate the British establishment are hilarious, surprising and doomed to failure, but although Colin can't find a cure for cancer, he does find a way to help some of the new friends he makes, as well as discovering the best thing he show more can do for Luke. show less

A nice little book with a positive message, especially when it comes to living with disabilities.

Rowena, or Ro for short, is a mute girl, who lives with her Dad in Australia (her mother died at her birth, her dad is single). They recently moved to a small town and Ro is the new kid at school. Technically her disability doesn't affect her life at all, since she talks in sign language with her dad and writes on paper with others, however, the kids at her new school aren't so happy about it and show more like to turn her school days into bad memories. And her dad isn't much of a help, as he constantly embarrasses her.

While it may sound like just another school bully story with a protagonist who's disabled, it isn't. Ro knows how to stand up for herself, and, other than hiding in a closet, she doesn't let her classmates' comments bring her down.
Even when she was at a "disability conference", she made sure to not let others control her because they think she's helpless; she told them how disabled people are humans as well and should be treated as such. I really liked that little speech, especially when the president got angry.
And she also stood up to her friends' father, when he wanted to cut off the friendship, just because he didn't like Ro's dad and was upset about Ro ruining his "heroism".

It got a bit cliché in the middle, with her dad dating Ro's teacher (plus I didn't ship them), but at least didn't have a cliché ending, so that's good.
And also quite emotional towards the end.

Overall it's nice how the book focuses more on Ro's problem with her dad's embarrassing situations, rather than on her being mute. It's a good message, especially for kids, to show that not all disabled people are helpless and have a completely normal life like any other.

Also, Ro has a funny humour and the writing style is smooth. Enjoyable and recommendable for all ages. show less

Colin's little brother is dying of cancer, and his parents send him from their home in Australia to stay with his aunt and uncle in London while they deal with..."things." But Colin, who has long been jealous of the attention his brother gets, is determined to turn the tables and get the appreciation from his parents he thinks he deserves: he formulates a plan to see the queen about borrowing her Top Doctor to save his brother's life.
I spent the first part of the book borderline-annoyed at show more Colin's attitude, and most of the rest of it worried that it was going to turn too sad and sappy. But, in the end, everything evens out, and although it *is* quite sad, it never turns maudlin or saccharine, but instead transforms into a perfectly balanced story of love and grief as experienced in childhood and beyond. show less

The Grausamkeiten of the Holocaust were so unspeakable that fiction would seem to have little to offer. But here Gleitzman uses the innocence of a child’s eye perspective to create a story that manages to be affirmative as well as sad. Felix, the narrating character, is a child with a fertile imagination and a good heart, and he gets things done. Thankfully for him, he’s unaware of the gruesome realities his story is part of. We are not spared yet somehow come away with an uplifting feel.