Tag Archives: children’s books

Christmas Countdown!

Hi!

With just a few days to go until the 1st of December, I’m starting an exciting week visiting my local primary schools to read It’s A Kid’s Life – Christmas Countdown! After planning to take a break from school visits for a month, my marketing manager (aka my twelve-year old son!) had other plans and told me that I should go into schools to share his love of this book with other children.

How could I refuse?!

My sons have always loved reading a Christmassy book in December and even as they get older, they still love the tradition of starting Christmas Countdown together on the 1st December.

Keep reading for a sneak preview into the first chapter for you so you can see why it captured their hearts…

Ben Collins has always loved the month of December.

Chocolate advent calendars… dazzling tree lights… two whole weeks off school… and, in the words of his jealous little brother, two big presents on Christmas Day thanks to having two dads!

His favourite month of the year gets even more exciting when he hears about the local newspaper competition to write the best article ever and win the prize money! Now all he needs to do is come up with a unique idea. Just when he thinks there is nothing worthy of originality, he sees something that is sure to win him first place… or is it?

CHAPTER 1

It was December the 1st. The most exciting month of the year was upon us. The month where you get to eat chocolate from your advent calendar every morning before breakfast. The month where everyone forgets about the cost of electricity as they cover the front of their houses with dazzling lights. The month where instead of being told ‘No’ when you ask your parents for something, they tell you to ‘write it on your Christmas list.’ The month where everyone seems to be that little bit happier and friendlier than usual.

And let’s not forget, the very important issue of two whole weeks off school! The only downside of that was the six extra hours a day that I would have to endure my three younger brothers irritating me.

I have been known to describe my little brothers as being more annoying than an ant nibbling on my bottom cheek. And if you have ever had the misfortune of sitting on an ants’ nest, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

I could hear all three of them right now in fact, next door in Pocket Rocket’s bedroom. Feeling suspicious as to why my eight-year-old brother had allowed the highly irritating younger two into his bedroom, without trapping them in a headlock or a double nelson, I paused outside his door to listen.

“Dear Spuds… that means you two,” I heard Pocket Rocket say to Big Spud and Little Spud. “I would love to put you on my nice list this year, but I’m afraid that you have been far too naughty lately.”

 I heard my two youngest brothers gasp in horror as he said this. I pressed my ear closer to the door as I eavesdropped on them.

“Don’t worry though, boys,” Pocket Rocket continued. “There is a way you can avoid getting a big, fat lump of coal in your stocking this Christmas Eve. You can guarantee a nice lot of presents instead by doing the following things…

  1.  Tell Mum that it was in fact you who ate half of the box of chocolates that Mum bought for her friend, and not Pocket Rocket.”

Now it was my turn to gasp in horror. It just wasn’t true! I had seen Pocket Rocket shove half of the box into his greedy mouth last week before resealing it. Poor Mum had looked mortified when her friend had opened her present to find a half empty box of chocolates.

I was about to burst into my brother’s room to demand to know what was going on when I heard Pocket Rocket announcing number two on the list.

“2. Do both of your big brothers’ chores for the whole of December.”

Hmm, I quite like the sound of that, I thought to myself.

“3. You must stop watching babyish cartoons, and instead, put on anything your brothers want to see.”

This was sounding better by the second.

“4. Tell your mum and dad that Pocket Rocket deserves to have the biggest present of all of you this Christmas, as he is their favourite son.”

Suddenly things weren’t sounding quite so appealing. I pulled on the door handle and burst into Pocket Rocket’s bedroom. He was sitting on his bed with a piece of paper in his hand. Big Spud and Little Spud were sitting silently on his rug, like obedient little school children listening to their teacher. They were gazing up at him with their big, innocent, blue eyes, taking in every word that he was saying. Pocket Rocket jumped when he saw me and hid the piece of paper behind his back whilst whispering, “Lots of love, Father Christmas,” to our little brothers.

The sneaky little thing! He had written a pretend letter from Father Christmas to trick our younger brothers into doing things for his benefit. I was about to spoil his cunning plan by telling Big Spud and Little Spud that it was actually Pocket Rocket who had written the letter and not Father Christmas, when I remembered the bit about doing ‘both of your big brother’s chores’. Maybe I should play along with Pocket Rocket after all. As much fun as it would be to expose him for the devious big brother he was, it would be even funnier to see my two younger brothers suffer.

I imagined them struggling up the stairs with the vacuum cleaner. I had always thought how unfair it was that I was repeatedly given this chore as they were ‘too little’ to carry it, according to Mum. It was about time those two started to pull their weight. Pocket Rocket looked at me, his eyes silently begging me to play along.

“Wow, that’s so exciting,” I said in a big, animated voice. “A real letter from Father Christmas! You two are so lucky. You had better make sure you do what he says, though. It would be horrible if you woke up to a lump of coal on Christmas morning rather than a stocking overflowing with presents.”

My two brothers looked at me like I had just told them they were going to have to eat cold porridge (with no syrup!) for the rest of their lives.

 They then turned to stare at each other before running out of the room shouting for Mum, presumably to take the blame for the chocolate incident.

Pocket Rocket and I grinned at each other like the cats who’d got the cream.

“Let me see that,” I said, swiping the letter from ‘Father Christmas’ from behind his back. The lazy thing hadn’t even bothered to write it properly. He had just put a load of squiggles instead, knowing that Big Spud and Little Spud couldn’t read very well yet.

“I like your style,” I said to my brother. “But there’s no way in the world that Mum and Dad will fall for your little plan to get the best present at Christmas. And if they are stupid enough to fall for it, I will make sure I tell them to do the exact opposite. Capiche?”

‘Capiche’ means ‘understand’ in Italian, and Dad was a big fan of saying this to us after giving us a lecture about something. I could see why he liked to say it now. It had a much better ring to it than ‘understand’.

Pocket Rocket rolled his eyes and mumbled “OK”, knowing that he had probably pushed his plan a bit too far with this request.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go and ask Mum if we can decorate the tree.”

Pocket Rocket didn’t need asking twice. He had always loved putting up the Christmas tree. All we had to do now was figure out a way to get Dad out of the house, so that we could actually enjoy doing it. Dad always spoiled it by shouting at us that we were doing it all wrong!

If your children would like to read the rest, get your signed copy now! Click here!

It’s A Kid’s Life -Sneak Preview!

Here is a sneak preview of the text from the first three chapters of the first book in the It’s A Kid’s Life series!

CHAPTER 1 

Hi, I’m Ben Collins. I’m just a nine year old boy muddling my way through being a kid. Grown-ups always tell us that these are the best years of our lives, but as all us kids know, this is just a reflection of how forgetful parents can be, as being a kid is hard.

Especially when you have three younger brothers to contend with like I do. I get the blame for EVERYTHING, just because I’m the oldest and ‘should know better’. If they aren’t trying to get me into trouble, then they are trying to wreck all my stuff. It drives me crazy.

I have recently come up with a solution to this problem though. I have this really cool intruder alarm on my door. I wanted a proper lock, but Mum told me that wasn’t going to happen, so this is the next best thing. If one of my brothers tries to enter my room uninvited, then a siren as loud as ten police cars fills the house. I get to run straight to my bedroom to catch the intruder red handed! The only problem is that I sometimes set the alarm before I go to bed, and when Mum comes to check on me she gets the fright of her life as the siren wails. She then has to spend the next hour getting my baby brother back to sleep, which she always blames me for of course.

Then there is school. Who on earth came up with the idea of sending all of us kids to school for five days every week? That is five days at school and two days at home. Who did the maths on that one? It is so not fair.

Anyway, that’s enough of me moaning. You will get the wrong idea if I carry on being negative. I’m actually quite a happy child, despite all the hardship that comes along with being a kid. So, I’m going to give you a list of my favourite things to let you see what I’m really like.

  1. Computer games – I absolutely could not live without playing them. Maybe I could even invent my own one day!

 

  1. My dog – the best dog in the world, Obi!

 

  1. Pyjama Days – why get dressed when you aren’t leaving the house? It makes getting ready for bed later a whole lot quicker!

 

  1. Chocolate – hey, what kid doesn’t like chocolate? The bigger the bar, the better!

 

  1. Salmon – ha, you weren’t expecting that one were you? Just checking you were paying attention. Of course I don’t like salmon – yuck!

 

  1. Play fighting with my brothers – ok, so they are good for something!

 

  1. Karate – Mum tells me that this is important for discipline. I think it’s great, as you get to punch the sensei’s big fat belly to practice your skills.

The ‘Sensei’ is the man in charge shouting all the orders. He pretends to be scary but his bark is worse than his bite as they say.

  1. Making money – I plan on being a millionaire by the time I am eighteen, and if you carry on reading this book you will find out how!

So there you have it. This is me, and this is my story. Only things are about to get even harder for me, as my mum and dad have made the crazy decision to move house, which means that I have to start a new school. Needless to say, I am NOT impressed!

CHAPTER 2

My mum says that I’m lucky to have three brothers. She says that having brothers means that you will always have someone to play with, someone to look out for you, and someone who will always be your friend. I’m not so sure she is right, but for now I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I’m not entirely sure what ‘benefit of the doubt’ means, but I think it means that I have to believe her until I can prove her otherwise.

I do try to prove her wrong at least once a week, but then she reminds me that I play Top Trumps with Pocket Rocket most nights before bed, and that Big Spud and Little Spud love taking it in turns to jump on my back and pretend that I am a horse.  I have to admit, it is quite good fun hearing them squeal as I bounce them up and down whilst charging round the house!

I should probably explain my brothers’ nicknames to you. Pocket Rocket is my seven year old brother. Dad started calling him this after he won his first ever race at the age of just two and a half at the preschool sports day. He ran so fast that the crowd gasped in shock as he flew over the finish line like a rocket. The pocket bit came from the fact that he was so tiny at the time that Dad said you could almost fit him in your pocket.

Big Spud is my four year old brother and Little Spud is my two year old brother. I’m not too sure where the ‘spud’ bit came from to be honest. Maybe they ate a lot of potatoes when they first started eating proper food, as ‘spud’ is a funny word for a potato. Or maybe they had faces like potatoes when they were born!

I really should ask Dad about this one. Dad nicknamed me Big Ben, as I am the oldest, but I prefer it if he just sticks to Ben these days, as it does get a bit annoying having to explain to everyone that I am not named after the bell of a giant clock!

Anyway, back to Mum telling me that I am lucky to have three brothers. She always reminds me about the time that she saw two older boys pushing her brother around in the school playground. She fearlessly ran at them, shouting her best war cry, and hit both of them with a plastic football cone that she found lying on the ground.

According to Mum, the boys ran off faster than Usain Bolt at the London Olympics. I expect that Mum exaggerates the facts somewhat. I have to admit though, I am a little bit impressed with this story, even though we must have all heard it about eighty six times by now!

Today is a day that I am glad to have my brothers though as we are starting a new school. At least I know that they too will be feeling my pain as we stand out like sore thumbs in a school where everyone else already knows each other.

It is so annoying when parents make grown up decisions without thinking how hard it is for us kids. So what if Dad has been offered a great new job with a brand new car. I was top of the class in maths, and saving up to buy a shiny new stunt scooter with my little business I had started in the school playground. I would buy packets of sweets in for 40p and sell them for 60p. I had built up a nice lot of regular customers. Now I would have to start from scratch. Did Mum and Dad not know that I planned on being a millionaire by the time I was eighteen?  

“COME ON BOYS, we can’t be late on your first day,” Mum shouted from downstairs. I was standing in my bedroom wearing just my pants. Thinking that this probably wouldn’t be a very good look to meet my new classmates in, I quickly pulled on the rest of my new uniform. I guess it could be worse. At least this one didn’t come with a tie like my last school. I never could get the hang of tying that thing. Shoe laces were far easier than ties.

Before I knew it, we were all sitting in the school office, waiting to be taken to our new classrooms. If you thought I was nervous, you should have seen Big Spud. He was sitting there, white as a sheet, holding on to Mum’s hand like he was glued to her. Mum didn’t stand a chance of getting him into his new classroom without her. I decided that, being the big brother, I would set a good example, even if I did wish that the ground would open up and swallow me whole. So when my new teacher, Mrs Ramsbottom, walked over smiling at us, I tried my best to smile back, only I think it came out as more of a lop sided grimace with a look of sheer terror in my eyes.

Suddenly, I wished that I was four again, and could grab onto my mum’s hand and scream, “Mummy, help me!” But I wasn’t four. I was nine. Next year I would be in double digits as I entered the exciting world of a ten year old. I had to act like a man and go to meet my new classmates.

CHAPTER 3

“Class, this is Ben!” shouted Mrs Ramsbottom as we walked into my new classroom. There was an eerie silence as every head turned to look at the new boy who had just walked in.

I could feel a warm rush of blood running to my cheeks as they turned as red as a big dollop of tomato ketchup. All I wanted to do was make a run for the open window on the other side of the classroom. If there was one thing I hated more than eating salmon, it was being looked at by a zillion eyes all at once.

With about thirty kids in the class there were probably only actually about sixty eyes, but right then, it felt like a zillion.

I mustered up a clumsy sort of wave which looked more like my arm had a floppy lettuce stuck to the end of it. My teacher then ushered me to a seat at the back of the classroom, not a moment too soon. The spare seat was next to a boy who was sitting chewing a pencil. He looked very bored.

“Ben, this is Tommy. He is going to be your buddy,” said Mrs Ramsbottom.

Tommy managed to look a little less bored for a minute as he muttered a very unenthusiastic ‘hello’.

“Anything you need to know, just ask Tommy,” continued Mrs Ramsbottom. “He is going to make sure you settle right in here at Summercroft School.”

“Right class, time to learn about some poems,” she shouted as she headed back to the front of the class. Thankfully, everyone’s eyes moved away from my tomato ketchup coloured cheeks as they busied themselves with their pens and writing books.

The teacher was rambling on about an acrostic poem, and seeing as I had recently learnt about this at my last school, it gave me a good opportunity to check out my fellow classmates.

Tommy didn’t really say an awful lot all morning, so I was undecided as to whether he would make a good friend or not. He seemed pretty clever though, so should make a good maths buddy if nothing else. Most kids thought I was crazy for liking maths, but it was my favourite subject, and it would come in very useful for managing my millions when I’m older. I couldn’t wait to be a grown-up and run my own little business, making lots of money.

Mum always tells me that money isn’t  important and it is love that makes the world go round.

I, on the other hand, would quite like to be rich when I’m older. As I said, by the time I am eighteen I will be a millionaire! I plan to have a big house with a swimming pool, a games room, and a TV the size of the wall to play computer games on. There will be a never ending supply of lemonade coming out of the kitchen tap too!

Awesome!

After what seemed like an eternity, the bell went to let us know that school had finished for the day. In my last school, I just walked out by myself to find Mum outside Pocket Rocket’s classroom. I kind of hoped that she would be waiting for me outside my classroom today though as my nerves from this morning hadn’t completely vanished yet.

I looked out of the classroom window and felt relieved to see my mum standing there waiting with a few of the other mums. My relief quickly turned to embarrassment though as she spotted me and started waving at me like a crazy mum with a big cheesy grin on her face. It reminded me of the time she had walked me into school, and instead of saying goodbye to me at the school gates she followed me all the way to my classroom. As I walked in the door she poked her head through and shouted in her most shrill voice, “Love you darling, bye!” I froze in horror as the entire class fell silent, and all of the kids turned to look at me. It was the worst thing Mum could have ever done to me, and I still haven’t forgiven her for it.

I should have expected it though as the day before, she told me that if I continued to walk off from her without so much as a, “see you later alligator,” then she would shout some kind of ‘embarrassing mum’ comment to me. I thought she was just bluffing. Mum always threatens us with things and then doesn’t go through with them. This time though, she called my bluff. I was called ‘darling’ by my classmates for an entire term.

Luckily for me, the kids soon forgot about teasing me when Billy Walsh was caught giving his mum a big kiss goodbye just before walking in the classroom door.

Surely he knew that it was a big no-no to kiss your mum in public after the age of five!

To find out what happens next, get your copy of the book here!

It’s A Kid’s Life – Camp Chaos

IAN Children’s Book of the Year Finalist 2018, Kerry Gibb, brings you the latest book in her popular series for children aged 7 to 11 – IT’S A KID’S LIFE – CAMP CHAOS.

Ben Collins is finally escaping his annoying little brothers for the week! Join him and his friends on their much anticipated Year Six camp to the Isle of Wight. Be prepared for fearless ‘truth or dare’ escapades and exhilarating tests of courage that push the boundaries of trust to the limit. Throw into the mix a thunderstorm, an accident that could have ended in tragedy and a brave display of true loyalty, and you have a school camp that will go down in history!

Order your copy here now!

 

National Read To Your Sibling Day – 20th May 2021

National Read To Your Sibling Day was created by children’s author Kerry Gibb, to encourage brothers and sisters to read to each other.

Kerry has witnessed first-hand the amazing benefits of her own children reading to one another and wants to urge children everywhere to do the same.

“Older children get a fabulous sense of responsibility and make wonderful role models for their younger siblings. Snuggling up reading a book together is fantastic for bonding and seeing their older siblings read to them will encourage the younger ones to follow suit.

Reading aloud to each other helps children enhance their communication skills and comprehension, as well as boosting their speech, vocabulary and language.”

Schools can get involved by asking children to read to their siblings at home. Children can then report back to school the next day and discuss the books they read to their sibling and how they reacted to it. Did they laugh? Did they seem calm? Did they enjoy it? They can even be encouraged to take photos of them reading together to share with the class.

Younger siblings can be encouraged to read to older siblings too. Some of them find reading their school books to their parents a chore as it is labelled ‘homework’. Reading their school book to their older brother or sister instead, can bring a whole new level of enjoyment to it. They could even read their favourite bedtime story and take it in turns to read a page each.

National Read To Your Sibling Day takes place on the 20th May. Please do join other parents and teachers and encourage your children to take part.

Use the hashtag #nationalreadtoyoursiblingday on social media to show your support!

 

 

 

Too Cool For Books, Hey Boys?

There is nothing that bugs me more as an ‘author mum’ than boys saying, as they get older, that they don’t like reading because ‘it’s not cool,’ or ‘it’s for nerds’.

Boys, you are so wrong on every level!

My husband overheard my ten year old telling his best friend earlier that he hated reading.

What would his friend say if he I told him that every night at bedtime, we read three or four chapters of a book from his favourite series together, and every night he asks for just one more chapter when I try to leave?

Does enjoying a book mean that he will no longer be the great little football player he has become?

Does enjoying a book mean that he won’t be such a good duo partner on Fortnite anymore?

Absolutely not!

It is time to squash this image of being one thing or another. A cool kid, or a nerd. A sporty kid, or an academic kid. A book lover, or a book hater.

My son didn’t click with reading. He found it hard and didn’t particularly enjoy the books recommended by school. He never got the hype about Harry Potter, and if a book didn’t grab him in the first chapter then it quickly went in the ‘hand me down pile.’ He is a sporty kid, and is never happier than when he is kicking a football around.

But, I never gave up on him. I knew that there would be a book out there for him. A book that would capture his heart, and make him realise the amazing place a book can take you to. A place away from the electronic bubble our children cannot escape in this modern world. A place where their minds can relax from the hectic interaction on Xbox live or Playstation.

You don’t have to love reading to enjoy a good book. But when you do discover that ‘good book’ you will love spending time reading it. And once you find ‘that book’, you will realise that there are others out there too. Thousands and thousands of books are just waiting to be discovered.

For my son, it was the Jamie Johnson series by Dan Freedman that did it for him. A series about his number one love – football. But, not only did he enjoy the football aspects of the book, he was drawn into the emotional journey of the character too.

Books teach us so much without us even realising, as we absorb them into our sponge-like minds.

It is a common bugbear amongst authors today when celebrities write a book that becomes a best seller just because they are famous. However, there are celebrities out there who have done wonders for promoting reading amongst children. Alesha Dixon has inspired countless young girls with her recent Lightning Girl series. Frank Lampard grabbed the attention of many a reluctant reader with his Frankie’s Magic Football series. And we all know how loved the David Walliams books are. All of these celebrities are living proof that we are not defined by one role in life. We can have many strings to our bow.

As boys grow up they will be influenced by their friends. Even more so thanks to social media. So let’s change this attitude that you either like books or you don’t. Let’s change this attitude of older boys that reading is for nerds.

Would you tell Frank Lampard he is a nerd for enjoying books boys?

If you agree with me, leave a comment to inspire boys out there to pick up a book!

This article was written by Kerry Gibb, a children’s author and mum to four boys. Her, It’s A Kid’s Life, series aimed at children aged 7 – 11, has grabbed the hearts of many reluctant readers. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also join her Kids Books Chit Chat social media groups.