A warm, feel-good story for 9+ about taking a leap of faith when life feels wobbly. Perfect for fans of Cathy Cassidy. Jelly, aged 11, is the life and soul of the classroom. She's popular and great at doing impressions. She's also overweight. She's learned to deal with the put-downs by brushing them off and pretending she finds it all very funny - while making up poems and writing her private worries in a notebook. Then Lennon arrives, Mum's new boyfriend. He's nice. He treats her mum well, buys her flowers, doesn't let her down. He's the first person to have noticed that Jelly is playing a part. He reads her poems and tells her they're really good. In fact, he'd like to set one to music. When a talent show is announced at school, Lennon persuades Jelly sing her poem in the contest. But can Jelly find the courage to perform something so personal - especially when Lennon might not always be there to cheer her on?
A short read but one I enjoyed very much - Echoes in an Empty Room
A touching and moving story - Parents In Touch
Thought-provoking, immaculately researched and with a big, warm heart, this is a story as delicate and delicious as a bowl of freshly-picked strawberries. - Lancashire Evening Post
A deeply touching story of hidden depths, the hurtfulness of careless words, love and self-acceptance - Metro
Author
About Jo Cotterill
Before turning to writing full time, Jo was an English and drama teacher and previously, she toured the country as an actor and musician. Jo’s Sweet Hearts series has been very wellreceived and incredibly popular with pre-teen girls.
Her other Solo titles for Barrington Stoke are Take Two, Three’s a Crowd and Love Bites. She lives in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
