If there’s one thing that rattles farm kids is when authors sugar-coat farming for them in picture books. It seems Old McDonald has a lot to answer for. We reviewed the Farmer in Training books last year which were Shearing Day and The Show. Well, the clever and talented Anwen Nichols and her illustrator Kenneth…
I started off my reading year in 2021 with no pressure. I hardly read any books in 2020 due to home schooling and generally not really feeling like it. I had thought I had read 16 books in 2021 but my maths skill, being true to form, were mistaken so, as I collated the list…
Sometimes, it is hard to find adequate books on farming for farm children. Living in such a rural setting, they know the ins and outs of farm life and they don’t need it all cute like some authors make it. Green Wellies Publishing has come up with the answer in the form of the Farmer…
I think it’s fair to say that most all goats are mischievous. We have kept pygmy goats and Boer goats at the farm and, not only do they escape from everywhere but they eat anything and everything. They are a joy though and it seems as though I am not the only one with naughty…
At the beginning of 2020 I booked front row tickets to see the Yorkshire shepherdess at my local theatre. Then Covid happened and the May date was put back to November 2021. I originally thought the farmer would come with me but he said he didn’t fancy it and would stay home so we didn’t…
At this time of year on the blog, I usually have a load of posts scheduled for publication. Reviews of the year, books I have read, a year on the farm. Since the pandemic hit in March though, I seem to have lost my mojo for everything. On the face of it, I should have…
We are always on the look out for new books about life on a farm. Not only does finding a topic that children like encourage reading for themselves, it also helps them to empathise with the characters. Skutterskelfe Farm is written by Kelly Taylor and illustrated by Mike Bastin. Skutterskelfe Farm is a series…
Have you ever thought “is this my life?” Have you ever imagined you’re lying on your deathbed and looking back wondering “what did I do with my life?” “How many people will be at my funeral, what will I have achieved?” These thoughts were constantly flowing through the mimd of Celia Gaze as she went…
When I write a blog post, I always hope it will be popular, that people will read it, enjoy reading it and possibly share it with their friends. However, if there is one thing I have learnt from writing a blog is that I never know if a post will be popular until I’ve sat…
With just a few weeks left of 2019 and Christmas in the middle of it, I felt like now was a good time to share with you the books I have read this year. Last year, I set myself a target of 12 books and managed 13. I raise the bar to 14 for 2019…