'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Monday, 31 May 2010

Review: Pen Pals Forever - School Days



Title: Pen Pals Forever: School Days

Author: Lenny Pelling

Illustrator: Lenny Pelling

Publisher: Random House, $9.95 RRP

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781864719017

For ages: 5+

Type: Novel

About: The second book in the Pen Pals Forever series, following on from Summer Days, is School Days. Polly and Jez return to school after the holidays, but this year they are both starting at new schools. Jez is attending a bigger school, while Polly is staying with family at a sheep farm, where she will go to school over the internet.

Jez is worried that she won’t have anything interesting to write to Polly about. Polly is concerned that, what with all the school work and shearing sheep, she simply won’t have time to write to Jez. And neither of them think they can even fit any more postcards and letters into their shoebox stashes.

While Summer Days was filled with Polly’s travelling tales, School Days is a book of letters from Jez. She shares her school experiences with her best friend, from making new friends to exciting excursions. And it is complete with not only tips for writing postcards, but also tips for making costumes like Jez.

Once again, Pelling’s lively illustrations help to bring the book to life. A novel for early readers, School Days is funny, full of interesting tidbits for kids and a great example of how two children leading different lives can still have so much in common.

This book is available online

Author website

See our review of book 1 in the Pen Pals Forever series, Summer Days