Swimming to the moon by Jane Elson

This heart-wrenching story by award-winning children’s author Jane Elson , is about Bea, who has a hat for every occasion, loves her late grandmother to pieces and hates her ‘flowery’ name (Beatrice Chrysthansum something something). Her bee book is treasured but Bea makes a wrong turn at school: she signs up for a sponsored swim! That’s fine, right? Perfectly alright except if you can’t swim like me! Bea hates water – swimming is too frightening. When she was five, and she fell into the waters of her town, Great Gran Beatrix called for her and a man saved her. Since then, swimming brings back the feelings of fear, discomfort and the water slipping through her mouth, engulfing her nostrils, creeping to fill her lungs, the clock ticking her last minutes away. Then the mysterious Moon – Star Higgins comes and Bea every bad and good day at school joins him and the traveller in her cosy, rickety caravan Old Alice to stroke Bob. One day Crystal’s father the Mayor and two of his beefcakes come and close off the area – to build flats. Can Bea save her friends? Or not..?

Also…forgot but Moon – star agrees to teach Bea to swim and Bea teach Moon – Star to write and read.

A kind of sad thing – Bea’s dad goes off to the pub and gets her sponsor form full of signatures! FAKE ones though! For example, there’s Beyoncé who wants to pay 50p per lap, and Napoleon who is willing to give 1p for each stroke.  It is quite sad to hear that Bea’s father is willing to give a lot of money to Bea if she swims, and he knows she can’t so is mocking her and doubts her ability.

I would recommend this magical story by Jane Elson , a skilled author, since it’s quite simply amazing, and cannot be explained in words that will show it’s full awesomeness.

Thank you for reading, see you tomorrow or Monday!

Best wishes,

Emmi x