Books with author Jo-Cotterill

A poignant story about dealing with grief through the magic of reading and friendship.Calypso's mum died a few years ago and her emotionally incompetent Dad can't, or won't, talk about Mum at all. Instead he throws himself into writing his book A History of the Lemon. Meanwhile the house is dusty, there's never any food in the fridge, and Calypso retreats into her own world of books and fiction. When a new girl, Mae, arrives at school, the girls' shared love of reading and writing stories draws them together. Mae's friendship and her lively and chaotic home - where people argue and hug each other - make Calypso feel more normal than she has for a long time. But when Calypso finally plucks up the courage to invite Mae over to her own house, the girls discover the truth about her dad and his magnum opus - and Calypso's happiness starts to unravel.'A story of great warmth and emotional wisdom' LINDA NEWBERY

When Rosalind is banished to the forest by her uncle it goes without saying that her cousin Celia will go with her. But their new life gets slightly complicated, when, disguised as boys, they meet real boys, who they’d quite like to live happily ever after with! How to reveal who they really are, without losing the people they love? Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically. Text type: Fiction from our literary heritage Curriculum links: English: fiction from the English literary heritage

Twelve-year-old Darby loves living on her family's strawberry farm. But a big storm is coming, and it threatens to destroy everything she and her family hold dear.Darby is twelve years old and has Down syndrome. Her favorite things are music, chocolate, and her big sister Kaydee. It's a big weekend for Darby. It's time for their annual chocolate hunt, and it's all she can think about. Well, that and spending time with her big sister. But this year Kaydee's friend Lissa is staying over for the weekend, and she seems to be stealing all of Kaydee's attention. And to make things worse, the strawberry farm is hit by a tornado. Suddenly, it's as though both the chocolate hunt and her sister are slipping away from her.Although the family is prepared for the tornado, they aren't prepared for the storm of emotions that surface when a truth is brought to light. With tension rising within the family, can Darby mend what's been broken when it seems like no one is listening to her?A Storm of Strawberries is a warm, thoughtful, and empathetic novel from acclaimed author Jo Cotterill.

Darby loves summer on her family's strawberry farm - but is the weather about to turn?A UK nomination for IBBY's List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2019Darby is twelve and has Down's syndrome. Her favourite things are music, chocolate, and her big sister Kaydee. It's nearly time for the annual chocolate hunt, the highlight of Darby's year, but Kaydee has brought a friend home for the weekend. Suddenly both the chocolate hunt and her favourite person are in danger of slipping away... and to make things worse, the family's strawberry farm is hit by a tornado.When the storm clears, what will be left? And can Darby mend what's been broken when nobody will listen to her?A warm, thoughtful and empathetic novel from acclaimed author Jo Cotterill.

What if the only thing you had left were the stories in your head?Amina’s homeland has been ravaged by war, and her family is devastated . . . The women of the family – Amina, her two sisters and their mother – have no choice but to leave their home town, along with thousands of others, and head for a refugee camp.But there are even more challenges ahead . . .

"A sympathetic portrayal of adolescent angst with a feel-good resolution." —Kirkus Reviews "An engaging story about body image, family dynamics, and the power of poetry."—School Library Journal "Cotterill depicts Jelly and her friends deftly, and her exploration of Jelly's feelings is sensitive and convincing and heralds her triumph in the end, demonstrating her newly found self-respect."—Booklist Twelve-year-old Jelly hides her true self behind her humor and keeps her true thoughts and feelings locked away in a notebook. Can she find the courage to share who she really is?Angelica (Jelly for short) is the queen of comedy at school. She has a personality as big as she is, and everyone loves her impressions. But Jelly isn't as confident as she pretends to be. No one knows her deepest thoughts and feelings. She keeps those hidden away in a secret notebook. Then her mom's new boyfriend, Lennon, arrives. He's kind and perceptive, and he is the first person to realize that Jelly is playing a part. Jelly shares her poetry with him and he convinces her to perform one of her poems as a song at the school talent show. Can Jelly risk letting people see the real her? What if it all goes wrong?

The fourth Dr. Siri Paiboun MysteryWhen a blind former dentist is run over by a truck, Dr. Siri Paiboun, the reluctant national coroner of Laos, suspects that this was no traffic accident. A coded message in invisible ink is recovered from the dentist’s body, and Dr. Siri begins to follow clues that hint at deep—and dangerous—political intrigue. Dr. Siri only intended to investigate a murder; is he now being drawn into an insurrection? Will he, as a fortune teller predicts, betray his country?

Hani's spent her whole life training to be a great athlete, just like her grandma. But what if that's making her ill? Join Hani and her friends as she tackles her Bulimia and tries to figure out who she wants to be. One thing's for sure: the girls of Hopewell High will take on everything boarding school can throw at them... together!Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, Eat Cake and Run is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.Book band: Grey

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?

Alice's parents are having problems and she has the lead in the school play. Can her friends help her to get over her stage fright?Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, Stage Fright is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.Book band: Grey

Samira wants to do well, her parents want her to do well, her teachers want her to do well, but the pressure is starting to tell. Can her friends rescue her when it all gets too much?Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, All Too Much is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.Book band: Grey

Calypso's mom died a few years ago and her emotionally incompetent Dad can't, or won't, talk about Mom at all. Instead he throws himself into writing his History of the Lemon. Meanwhile, the house is dusty, there's never any food in the fridge, and Calypso's grief has made her retreat from everyone and everything into a world of books. When a new girl, Mae, arrives at school, the girls' shared love of reading and writing stories draws them close. Mae's friendship and her lively and chaotic house—where people argue and hug each other—makes Calypso feel more normal, and more wanted, than she has for a long time. But when Calypso finally plucks up the courage to invite Mae over to her house, things go unexpectedly, disastrously wrong as she discovers a shocking truth about her Dad, and his magnum opus. A poignant story about the magic of reading and friendship.