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A warm, feel-good story for 9+ about taking a leap of faith when life feels wobbly. Perfect for fans of Cathy Cassidy.

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A warm, feel-good story for 9+ about taking a leap of faith when life feels wobbly. Perfect for fans of Cathy Cassidy.

Jelly, aged 11, is the life and soul of the classroom. She´s popular and great at doing impressions. She´s also overweight. She´s learned to deal with the put-downs by brushing them off and pretending she finds it all very funny - while making up poems and writing her private worries in a notebook.

Then Lennon arrives, Mum´s new boyfriend. He´s nice . He treats her mum well, buys her flowers, doesn´t let her down. He´s the first person to have noticed that Jelly is playing a part. He reads her poems and tells her they´re really good. In fact, he´d like to set one to music.

When a talent show is announced at school, Lennon persuades Jelly sing her poem in the contest. But can Jelly find the courage to perform something so personal - especially when Lennon might not always be there to cheer her on?

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A short read but one I enjoyed very much Echoes in an Empty Room

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Jo Cotterill has had several careers - actor, musician, teacher, fireworks technician - but is now a full-time writer in Oxfordshire. She has published over thirty books for children and young people, including the award-winning Looking at the Stars , A Library of Lemons , and the superhero comic/novel Electrigirl .

Jo loves going into schools and talking about books and reading, and can be found making cards and writing music when she´s not spending time with her two young daughters.

Find her online: jocotterill.com / @jocotterillbook

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