The relationship between humans and birds is something that has been around for generations, although the appearance of “A Kestrel for a Knave” by Barry Hines probably bought it in to focus for many. This book is both heart breaking and yet full of hope for the future. The impact of his mother’s death on both Trevor and his father is something that we really feel, but the relationship that develops with the birds allows for healing and change. I am delighted that I was asked to take part in this blog tour and this book is going to be a firm favourite for those who love to feel close to nature.
1st September 2021, The Book Guild
“Trust, belief and a little magic… then maybe they could both fly free Since Trevor’s mum died his dad can barely look at him without yelling. Home is awful, school is worse. People just let you down, and Trevor only talks to Mrs. Bingo-Wings, his mum’s cat. But then he meets Midge, a peregrine falcon in danger, and finds out he has a gift that could change his life forever. Trevor is thrown into the heart of a magical adventure that could promise freedom – for Midge and for himself – but can he overcome his doubts and fears, and take on the destiny he’s only just discovered?”
Previously a falconer, consultant and writer-presenter of CITV’s Wild World, JC Clarke is now loving the writer’s life and is also a script consultant and copywriter. She’s been involved in falconry and conservation industries for over twenty years and is passionate about protecting wildlife. An alumna of the Curtis Brown Creative Writing for Children Course, Jo was shortlisted for Best Opening Chapter for Spellboda at the 2019 Jericho Writers Festival of Writing. She lives in Ashford, Kent with her family – and a large number of animals!
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In short, what is Spellboda about?
Spellboda is a magical animal adventure about Trevor, a boy struggling with grief and who doesn’t ‘fit in’, but discovers he has a magical gift. He can talk to Midge, a peregrine falcon, who desperately needs his help. Can Trevor work out who wants to steal Midge, why, and most importantly, can he believe he’s worth something, stop the thieves and save Midge from a life in captivity?
What inspired you to write the book?
I’ve worked with birds of prey for much of my career and I’m passionate about animal conservation. Some of my work has also been with young people, and helping them to transition through difficult situations and times in their lives, and I wanted to write a story that would also help young people to be confident in their unique abilities and strengths, and to believe in themselves.
What are some of the key themes that you explore in the book?
Key themes are animal conservation and education, handling grief and relationship dysfunction, finding self-confidence, self-belief and self-esteem, and being brave enough to live life in colour – with a touch of magic!
Is Spellboda your first book? When did you start writing it?
Although I have several manuscripts gathering dust in my cupboard, Spellboda is the first book I was brave enough to take forward to publication. I started writing it in 2014, but I was working full-time at this point so it took a while – especially as I put it through six re-drafts before I was even close to being happy with it. I should have listened to the themes in the story sooner and believed in myself a little more!
Who, or what, are some of your literary influences?
CS Lewis has been a huge influence and inspiration to my writing, as has Alan Garner, who is my hero! I have a love
of older classics – including The Water Babies, The Hobbit, Lord of The Flies, and many more, and as I child I used to read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every December without fail!
What inspired you to write for children / young adults, as opposed to adult fiction?
I’ve always read children’s fiction as a preference to adult fiction, and feel drawn to write it. Imagination is a superpower, and I feel that children aren’t able to let theirs go as much since the advent of tablets, mobiles, gaming and social media… and that books can still give them a chance to let their imaginations go wild.
You were an alumna of the Curtis Brown Creative Writing for Children Course; what was this like, and how did it impact your writing?
The course was hugely helpful to me mid-way through writing Spellboda. It inspired yet another re-draft and also helped me to develop a thicker skin for critical review! Working with respected authors and agents was a great way to gain valuable new perspectives on story writing.
How do you think your story can impact readers?
My hope is that Spellboda helps anyone, no matter their age, to feel worth something when they doubt, to feel they can be brave enough to step up and grab their chance when it comes. I hope awareness is raised for conservation – both in the UK and worldwide – and the belief that making a difference is possible, no matter how small the act.
How long did it take you to write Spellboda, and why?
It took me 6 to 7 years to write Spelloboda, but this was partly because I was working full-time alongside writing, and I wanted to keep re-drafting and working on the manuscript until I felt it was as good as I could make it.
What were some of the challenges when writing the book?
Time and self-confidence were my biggest challenges. Next was finding a place where I could write uninterrupted! I discovered many coffee shops along the way!
And what were some of the highlights?
I vividly recall finishing the book, after the last edit. I think it was because I knew I had got as far as I could at being happy with the manuscript, as much as writers ever can be anyway! I sat at my computer and had tears pouring down my face; happiness at the sense of achievement, but actually more for Trevor, and for his falcon friend, Midge, who have become so real in my life. Other highlights include taking time away to ‘retreat’ to Derbyshire, where Spellboda is set, to walk the peaks and live and breathe in every aspect of the setting I was writing.
You were previously a falconer and have a passion for wildlife; could you tell us more about this?
I fell in love with birds of prey aged 7, when on a trip to Scotland. Sitting in a hide for three hours, at last I watched the UKs only breeding pair of ospreys (at the time) fly over the loch to their nest with fish to feed their babies. I was fascinated, hooked. Even now, every time a bird flies overhead I stop to watch it… especially birds of prey. I spent 18 years as a falconer and my fascination with raptors only got stronger. I’ve been lucky enough to travel more in recent years, and I always seek out the wildlife elements of any place I visit, no matter what or where they are. The natural world is a gift for us all to marvel at and enjoy, and I’ve just felt more and more strongly the responsibility to play my part in protecting it.
How can readers make a difference when they read your story and engage with the messages of conservation and self-belief?
Even the smallest positive act in any area of life will make a difference. My hope is that readers will look at wildlife in a new way, and be more aware of the ways they can help. Even getting involved in local initiatives, such as the work being done at The Wildwood Trust, and many other amazing organisations, will help, and the more of us that get involved, the more difference we will make collectively. I always remember the starfish story!
Why it is important to try to engage with young people in this age bracket (9-15) that often falls between the gaps of middle grade and YA, particularly in light of your youth work?
I believe that ages 9 – 14 are an increasingly crucial stage in development for a young person. It’s a concern to me that so many are exposed to all kinds of material on social media at this age, and the increasing pressure for an unrealistic expectation of some idea of ‘perfection’ that only filters can bring! It’s harder than it’s ever been to be a young person, and to navigate the challenges. I’m sure we can all relate to the teenage years as being a stage we were grateful to survive! Today we see issues relating to personal control, brought about by feelings of inadequacy, and this often seems to manifest in general feelings of hopelessness, a lack of direction and confidence, and sometimes heart-breaking cases of emotional trauma and pain, which can then result in very distressing reactive behaviour. I believe our young people are up against it in a way like never before, and that we need to help them, empower them to believe in themselves, and give them confidence again.
Why do you particularly support charities such as Wildwood and Vulpro? What is it about these charities in particular that stand out for you?
I’m passionate about animal conservation, and supporting Wildwood and Vulpro is hugely important to me. Wildwood’s mission to conserve indigenous species, the work they are carrying out on breed and release projects, is amazing, and they were the obvious local choice for me to support a UK charity. As a worldwide issue, many people are unaware that huge numbers of vultures are dying, and many species are now critically endangered. Vultures are a vital component in our ecosystem and their loss would be catastrophic. I adore vultures, and so this was again a natural choice for me. Vulpro are doing the most amazing work out in South Africa, and they need all the help they can get!
Do you have any trigger warnings on or in the book? The book deals with emotional abuse from a parent – what sort of feedback have you had around this theme?
Some feedback has been that it was a struggle to read about Trevor’s relationship with his father, but some has also been that it was too tame, so I know it’s a very emotive area. It’s hard to acknowledge but many people have gone through some element of abuse or dysfunction through their childhood at some point, so my hope is to face it head on and show different perspectives may help a reader feel reassured and not alone if anything like this was to happen / has happened to them.
What’s next for Trevor and Midge?
Trevor and Midge are fully immersed in the adventure of Book Two now, which is in progress. I’ve also been lucky enough to be asked to write a film script for Spellboda, and I’m currently working on this with an Emmy award-winning writer in LA as my editor – so I’m feeling very grateful!
Do you plan on writing any more books in the future?
I’m planning a set of three books for the Spellboda series, and already have ideas for other books!
And finally, what do you hope that readers will take away from the book?
I hope readers will take away that satisfied feeling that comes from reading a story written with passion, that connects and resonates with them and lifts their spirits. I hope they can lose themselves in the story, and believe amazing things are possible in life, if they believe in themselves!
Sparkledale Dance Academy, brings a flyer into school, Autumn gets very excited; the Academy is about to hold trials for young people to try out for their competitive dance team, The Black Cats. However, Autumn’s nasty neighbour Severina is also determined to make the team and she is willing to go to great lengths to achieve her end, even putting a spell on Autumn that turns her into a black cat. The question is, will our heroine achieve her dream?
Middle grade books tend to be highly gendered. Titles beginning ‘The boy who . . .’ or ‘The girl who . . .’ are fearsomely popular amongst 9 – 12 year olds. Common wisdom dictates that girls will happily read books with boy protagonists, whilst boys reject books with female protagonists.
tomboyish. Neither is positioned as a better or worse way to be a girl – just different.
I admit to really loving books about magic, witches, and the mythology surrounding the Fae folk. This belief in the fairy people has its roots in Celtic myths, as far as I know and you can forget any thoughts of pretty little fairies with tinsel and wings. The characters in this story are human sized, powerful and have a very strong dislike for humans, although they have a fondness for young children and often kidnap them. In the land of fae there are also creatures ranging from goblins to pookhas, all of which are a danger or at least an irritation to the human world.
protect the ‘Hedge’, a dense wood that creates a barrier between the human and faery worlds. It seems that creatures are trying to break through the barrier and they have been stealing children to take them back to sell to the ‘Lords and Ladies’ as the Fae are called. Cassie finds that life has become very complicated; not only is she is starting lessons at the witch version of the girl guides, trying to navigate between several friends and getting to know her new family, but above all she is trying to find clues about her mother’s disappearance. As you can see from the brilliant map, this is a small and tightly knit community, but it is still wonderful to be able to visualize it in this way. There are also some marvellous illustrations throughout the book.
We seem to be in a really great period for those books aimed at newly confident readers. Not many years ago, this was an area that seemed to suffer from a lack of titles and a real sense that publishers were too concerned with the academic side of the reading process. Luckily there is now a much better understanding of the fact that if you want children to read, then they will do so if they really enjoy the stories that are being presented to them.
a wolf cub who has become lost in a great storm. This leads Rosa and her Nan to go in search of the pack and find out why they have moved from their old home. We also get to met a group of Moose, an owl called Little Pig and a family of hedgehogs, all of whom have to work together to try and repair the damage that has been done to the river bank and surrounding area. At the same time Rosa and her Nan are extending the cabin, so that Rosa will actually have her own bedroom, a move that really emphasizes how he has become part of her grandmother’s life. We are promised third title in the series so I look forward to reading about adventures with “The Sea Otters”.
very surprising discoveries to be made.
Jones. She spent her childhood in Wales, wishing that she was Pippi Longstocking, and after graduating spent time working as an actor, broadcaster and cheese-seller, until one day she had the idea to pen a story about a tenacious young inventor named Demelza. Holly’s days are now spent penning new stories as well as leading drama, craft and bushcraft classes for children. She lives in Brighton with her girlfriend and still wishes that she was Pippi Longstocking. (from Chicken House website)
been asked to look at this collection by the supplier Books2door and as it is a group of stories about Christmas (my favourite time of the year, despite the weather), I agreed. The publisher is also one that I am very fond of; Little Tiger was founded in 1987 and ran as an independent publisher until 2019, when it was bought by Penguin Random House, but it still maintains its ethos and individualism. There are ten picture books in this collection and they are a mix of traditional stories and modern tales. Interestingly there are only two titles that actually have human characters, with the other eight featuring a wide, but familiar range of animals.
Caroline Pedler is the story of two small mice, named Bubble and Squeak, who are visiting their Granny for Christmas. But how will Father Christmas know where to deliver any presents and even more worrying, how will he get in the house? Granny doesn’t have a chimney, but she comes up with an exciting alternative that they can all enjoy.
“Waiting for Santa” by Steve Metzger and Alison Edgson shows us the power of believing and of friendship. Little bear is convinced that Santa will bring presents at Christmas, but badger is very sceptical as they have never had presents before. Despite this the friends all decorate a tree, with a star on top and snuggle up to wait for Santa, but will they get the surprise they wanted? Well it is Christmas and dreams can come true.
Macnaughton has been a firm Christmas favourite since it was published over a decade ago. When little hedgehog is woken from his winter sleep he is too cold to go back to sleep, but then out of the sky falls a parcel and it is addressed to him! Inside is a red woolly hat, but as it doesn’t fit, he decides to give it to his friend. The hat is passed to several animals before it finally finds its true home and everyone can snuggle down and keep warm.
“The Night before Christmas” by Clement C Moore and Mark Marshall. This is a re-telling of the now classic story of Christmas eve and is probably how most young children have learnt the names of Santa’s reindeer. As always, this story leaves a nice warm glow.
Edgson tells the story of young rabbit, who has spent the morning building a very special snowman. When he is asked to pick some berries for tea, he sets off and enjoys it so much, he doesn’t see the now start to fall and the visibility disappear. Magically he is rescued by the snowman and gets home safely.
“A Christmas Wish” by Julia Hubery and Sophy Williams is the story of Gemma and her little brother Ty. When Ty accidentally breaks her favourite tree decoration, Gemma is very upset and angry. But then she remembers all the nice things about her brother and when she finds that he has left some glue and a note saying ‘I’m sorry’ outside her door, she realises that the ornament can be mended and she wants to make up with her brother.
Yerrill is about the wonder and joy of experiencing your first Christmas celebration. Little Mouse has never had a Christmas, so he asks his large family what it means to them. Parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins and other relatives all share their favourite things. This can vary from making snowmen, sledging, and snowball fights, to Christmas dinner, presents and keeping warm around a fire. All of the things that we imagine a magical Christmas to be, but mainly it is about sharing with family and friends.
“Big Bear, Little Bear” by David Bedford and Jane Chapman is the delightful story of a polar bear and her cub. The latter wants to grow up as big and strong as his mother and to be able to do all the things she does, but she explains that when he is big, she won’t be able to give him a ride on her shoulders. So he decides that growing up is a long term aim, as he loves sharing adventures with his mother.
Chapman tells the story of a young rabbit called Moz, who is being squashed by his siblings in the burrow. He decides to go outside and meets his friend Albatross, who offers to take him for a flight. Unfortunately Moz falls off and ends up in the snow and then inside a huge ice hall. At first it is exciting, but then he gets scared and misses his family, so he manages to escape from the ice. Luckily Albatross finds him and he is soon back in the warmth of the burrow and the cuddles of the family.
“When will it Snow?” by Kathryn White and Alison Edgson features another young bear who is longing to see snow. However his mother tells him that bears hibernate when the snow arrives, so he will not be able to seethe winter. So little bear asks his friends, mole and squirrel, what snow is like and they explain about the way it falls, goes slushy and how you can make snow angels. They also confirm that they will be out playing in the winter weather and bear is worried that they will forget about his during the winter and that he will lose his friends. But as we all know, true friends do not forget about you over a short period of time and all is well in the end.
third book and this time she takes us to a remote Scottish Island, which is hiding a secret. Aarti has lived on the island for most of her life and can remember little else. She is looked after by her ‘Aunt’ and life is extremely hard. they are totally self sufficient, living off the vegetables they grow, the eggs from their hens and anything they can find on the island; the only friend that Aarti has is a fox that she calls Chand, although she doesn’t know where the name comes from.. However, as she grows older, Aarti begins to wonder if she is being told the truth about what happened to her parents and whether they are really dead. There is also the mystery of a locked room that she is not allowed to enter, but when it is left unlocked one day, she goes in and discovers an old stuffed toy that brings back some long-lost memories. One of the few things that Aarti has is a collection of stories about Hindu deities, hence the reference in the title to blue Gods; although why she has this is a mystery.
small boat hidden away in a cave and eventually manage to bring it around to the small harbour. The pair manage to escape from the island and head in what they think is the general direction of other islands and the mainland. Thankfully the boat is rescued during a storm and the youngsters saved; however, that is when things take a very strange turn, because Euan is nowhere to be found and none of the rescuers had seen him on the boat. What happens next totally changes Aarti’s life and helps explain so much of her past, but it is her discoveries about Euan that will probably have the most profound impact on her future.
I know that I am biased about this, because they are based in my part of the world, but anything published by the fabulous Chicken House is going to get my attention. This title was even more noteworthy because it was the inaugural Chairman’s Choice prize winner at the 2019 Times/Chicken House competition. Added to this is the totally original concept that we find in this heartwarming story, it is a real must-read for this summer.
world, there is a small path that punches a shapely hole through a thick wall of hedging… This is the doorway to Alum Chine – a steep-sided valley that guides you down through the cliffs and toward a Bournemouth beach hut, where much of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy was written.
your nose as a canopy of trees obscures the sunlight. Further along the pathway, a black iron fence shielding its steepest edge, a weathered bridge comes into view – the teal green paint flaking as it stretches across the deepest section of woodland. We call this ‘Summer’s Bridge’, a place to remember my dad’s beautiful border collie who was possibly the only being to love Alum Chine quite as much me.
facing out onto the golden sand of Bournemouth’s prize-winning beach. Here I would sit, come rain or shine, in a squidgy deck chair with my leatherbound notebook from Portobello market and a thick mug of tea – which I’d brew on the small gas hob inside.