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Another Book Recommendation…


Belonging, as I do, to the Association of Christian Writers, I have the delight of meeting some fantastic writers, across all sorts of genres, both in person and online. We all do our best to encourage one another and champion one another’s work to do the hard task of making our books known…and get to read some fabulous books in the process!


Jenny Sanders is someone whose fantastic work for young audiences is something I’ve come across recently. It is definitely one you should be adding to your Christmas list if you are book-shopping for a child aged around 7-11.



Here is my review of her lovely book:


I had the privilege of reading a pre-publication copy of Charlie Peach’s pumpkins and other stories. The very title drew me in, with its overtones of fun and jollity and, from the opening story to the final one, it more than met my expectations. 


As a teacher myself, I love Jenny’s dedication at the beginning of the book - an encouragement to teachers to never stop promoting the “satisfaction of exploring the never-ending world of imagination through the gift of creative words.” Jenny delivers this with bells on through her wonderful story-telling. From the eponymous Charlie Peach, bringing his community together through his extraordinary pumpkin-growing, through the very resourceful Kit Armitage who must repair the damaged international relations with the kingdom of Carletia on a shoe-string budget, through to wonderful Aunty Nora who solves a bullying issue through the power of cake alone, Jenny’s stories burst with life and originality.


Wonderful humour underpins all the stories. Morals of kindness, courage, resourcefulness and friendship shine through, but without once being preachy or too saccharine. She weaves wonderful names, witty side comments and really well-thought through, original characters into narratives that simply sparkle. Many times, I had to stop reading mid-story to get one of my boring, adult jobs done, but, each time, I couldn’t wait to get back to reading to find out how any one of Jenny’s wonderful stories ended.




A great book to add to any classroom, library or personal bookshelf. I’m only disappointed that my own teenagers are too old for her stories, but I know what my nephew will be getting for Christmas!


You can buy the book on Amazon and from other book-selling outlets. 


Charlie Peach's Pumpkins and other stories https://amzn.eu/d/7WSfHLW 


You can check out my book there too: The God Who Sees You - Georgie Tennant https://amzn.eu/d/54HDw3k 

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