Old Barn Books – The Bell Bookshop

Kicked out

Emma — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This sequel to Dassu’s award-winning debut, Boy, Everywhere, finds Ali and Sami living their dream, playing football for the school team and hanging out in their friend Mark’s new luxury pool. But money goes missing and racism rears its ugly head when their friend Aadam is accused of the theft. Can the boys prove Aadam’s innocence, keep their friendship – and help fight Aadam’s threatened deportation? Can Ali navigate his emotions and stay focused now his dad is back on the scene and his half-brother has joined his school? A powerful story about friendship, being an ally and finding your place in the world.

Madeline Finn and the rescue dog

Emma — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Madeline Finn has a brand new puppy and lots of responsibilities. She has to walk Star, and feed him, and make sure he has a safe place to sleep. But, she learns, the most important thing is love. So when Madeline Finn visits and animal shelter, she has lots of questions about the dogs who live there. Do they get to play outside? Do they get to sleep under blankets? Does anyone read to them? Does anyone tell them they love them? Madeline Finn is determined to help the shelter dogs. But can she find a way to make each one of them feel special? With the help of some friends and a few good books, she just may discover that even small people can make a big difference.

Aftershocks

Emma — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A family mix-up means Louie has to tag along with his engineer father and his team as they head for a routine job in the farthest flung and most neglected province of the Federation. A massive earthquake, with ensuing tsunami, devastates the entire isolated coastal region, laying bare the other-worldly manner in which the silent and strange Endlanders deal with life, death and the hinterlands of memory and loss. Their curious and unsettling ways raise ghosts for Louie, who has recently lost his own brother. This modern fable – part ghost-story, part coming-of-age novel and part astute social and family observation – explores the ways in which grief can affect not only individuals, but communities at large.

Aftershocks

Emma — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Bear Who Went To War

Emma — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

In the dark days of war, a group of soldiers far from home come across an orphaned bear cub. They adopt him and hide him in their tents, feeding him with their rations – until he is too big to ignore! When they are told Wojtek cannot travel with them, the soldiers grant him an officer’s commission. Private Wojtek finds himself helping to carry armaments at the Battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, unable to return to their homeland, the soldiers arrive in Scotland. Peter, Wojtek’s substitute parent, has lost track of his own family, now homeless through war. There is a happy ending, however, as Peter is reunited with his family in Scotland – and Wojtek finds a new home in Edinburgh zoo. A statue of Wojtek stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh in memory of the brave bear and his fellow soldiers.

Storm Whale

Emma — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Bleak was the day and the wind whipped down, when I and my sisters walked to town..

So begins the story of three sisters and their wild and magical encounter with a whale, stranded on a beach. With illustrations full of light and movement, a powerful text that reads like a ballad, children and adults alike will be transported to beachside holidays of long ago, feel the wind in their hair and taste the salt spray, as the girls battle against huge odds to save something precious and vulnerable. The artwork moves from black and white to full colour and is expansive and nostalgic. Both author and illustrator are passionate about the natural world and environmental issues and see the book as a way to encourage others to care.

Bee & Me

Emma — Thu, 04 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A bee flies in the window of the high-rise flat where she lives and a little girl is frightened. She traps the bee and then wonders what to do. This beautiful wordless picture book traces the growing friendship between girl and bee and introduces small children to the ecology of the natural world. Highlighting the plight of the disappearing bumble bee, it shows how some simple actions can help restore beauty and balance in our environment. With a list of bee-friendly seeds to plant and ways to protect bees at home.

Hare

Emma — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A celebration of nature ‘Hare’ takes us back to the wild. The elusive majesty of the hare has inspired human imagination for centuries. This book looks at the natural history and mythology of this beautiful and playful creature. ‘Hare’ opens a window onto the natural world for young children. Little ones will join the hunt for the hare and enjoy reciting the ancient poacher’s names for him. Older children will be fascinated by the legends and facts included at the end such as ’10 Hare facts’ and ‘What’s the difference between a hare and a rabbit?’

Stars At Oktober Bend

Emma — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Alice is fifteen, with hair as red as fire and skin as pale as bone, but something inside her is broken. She has a brain injury, the result of an assault. Manny was once a child soldier. He is sixteen and has lost all his family. When Manny first sees Alice, she is sitting on the rusty roof of her river house, looking like a carving on an old-fashioned ship, sailing through the stars. He has a poem in his pocket and he knows the words by heart. And he is sure that girl has written them. When Manny and Alice meet they find the beginnings of love and healing.