Jade's Story

(2001)

Age range: 9+ Price: £4.99

Jade's Story book cover

What's it all about?

Jade should be happy. She has just won the Year 6 Outstanding Pupil of the Year award from school but when she returns home with her friends everything is ruined by her father's odd and embarrassing behaviour. Things go from bad to worse and when her father has a nervous breakdown, in public, Jade refuses to return to school.

'Jade's Story is truly an amazing book. Jade, a well-behaved student, has many supportive friends, a father who owns a stationery shop and a working mother. Her life seems so perfect - until her father has an emotional breakdown. He always seems to embarrass her in front of her friends and Jade never knows how to react. He doesn't hug her any more or give her any attention. Jade doesn't think things can get any worse until one terrifying afternoon. Before Jade's father is carted off to the hospital, she finds him in the middle of the road with stationery scattered all around him, holding up the traffic.

Very soon she starts to discover disturbing things about her past. Jade is terrified and doesn't feel she can turn to anyone. But when her mother and Jade rent a little cottage nearer to the hospital, she finds warmth and happiness in a true friend who is in the same boat as she is.

In this phenomenal book you will find true friendship, secrets and new discoveries. I found this book brilliant - it's a pity it ever had to end.'
Philippa Bodenstein, © The Daily Mail & Guardian
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Where did the idea come from?

A place this time. The same village of Besthorpe where 'There's Only One Danny Ogle' was set. Besthorpe has a small parish church, next to which is a row of old cottages. I was with my class one day studying the gravestones when I noticed how tiny the bedroom windows of the cottages were. This led me to wondering what it must be like having a bedroom window which overlooked a graveyard or burial ground. It all started from there.

Graveyard

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