The Small Things

LoveReading4Kids Says

Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8

Anna has friends at school, a kind teacher, she’s not being bullied, yet still she feels anxious, subdued, and terribly conscious that her friends’ lives are much busier than hers, a round of after school lessons, activities and clubs. The arrival in her class of new girl Ellie changes everything however.

Ellie is ill and can’t come to school, instead she communicates via a special robot, quickly named Ellie-bot by the class. As the two girls become friends, Anna finds herself inventing the kind of home life her friends have, scared that her normal life is too small-scale to impress Ellie. The truth emerges, of course, but Ellie is wise enough to understand that it’s the small things in life that are the best.

Quiet and gentle as it is, nonetheless this story packs a real punch and is delivered with the warmth, compassion and understanding that mark out Thompson’s writing. Published by dyslexia specialist Barrington Stoke, it is accessible to all readers.

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About The Small Things

Anna's anxious when she's picked to befriend the new girl in her class. For a start, Ellie is ill and can't come to school herself. So Anna has to communicate with her through a new kind of robot. But Anna is also worried that her life's too small and boring to be of interest to her new friend. Compared to the other girls, she doesn't have anything exciting to talk about and so when Ellie asks her a question, a little white lie pops out.

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