John’s Jam-Packed Jottings
Topz Secret Diaries
by Alexa Tewkesbury
Paperback
Price: £5.99
Publisher:CWR (Crusade for World Revival)
Published:2009
ISBN:978-1-853-45503-2
GoodBookStall Review:
Another in this series is Danny’s Daring Days ISBN 978-1-853-45502-5
The busy jotter-style cover of this book is enough to entice a curious 8-10 year old to pick it up off the shelf. Written as diary entries by John, who is struggling with his twin sister Sarah, the book combines humour with the existential questions children wrestle with as they develop their moral compass. The Topz Gang are a group of children striving to live out their Christian faith in school but are targeted by the Dixon’s Gang who prefer to taunt and bully to build their reputation. The diary entries on occasion break down further into timely occurrences mirroring the tendency for young people to text throughout the day as events unfold but also demonstrating a reflective nature adults don’t always credit young people with. Each daily entry contains a Me and God bubble where the earnest prayers of the young character John reveal his understanding of how he should behave or react as a Christian but enables him to honestly share his struggle to do the right thing, his feelings of remorse and guilt as well as his confidence to petition for help in his struggles. A book that will resonate with children.
Reviewer: Siân Hancock (13/02/10)
Another in this series is Danny’s Daring Days ISBN 978-1-853-45502-5
The busy jotter-style cover of this book is enough to entice a curious 8-10 year old to pick it up off the shelf. Written as diary entries by John, who is struggling with his twin sister Sarah, the book combines humour with the existential questions children wrestle with as they develop their moral compass. The Topz Gang are a group of children striving to live out their Christian faith in school but are targeted by the Dixon’s Gang who prefer to taunt and bully to build their reputation. The diary entries on occasion break down further into timely occurrences mirroring the tendency for young people to text throughout the day as events unfold but also demonstrating a reflective nature adults don’t always credit young people with. Each daily entry contains a Me and God bubble where the earnest prayers of the young character John reveal his understanding of how he should behave or react as a Christian but enables him to honestly share his struggle to do the right thing, his feelings of remorse and guilt as well as his confidence to petition for help in his struggles. A book that will resonate with children.
Reviewer: Siân Hancock (13/02/10)
