Artichoke Hearts

Product Information

Seriously, it’s like Ms Brahmachari took that from my Year 7 memories- braces, bobs and over-sized rucksacks - and published it. It would have been fascinating to really understand how this issue of multi-culturalism affected her day-to-day life. Although I am not Pat Print (I don't generally go into schools wearing walking boots or holey cardigans unless I have been savaged by Smokey our temperemental cat! I would recommend this book especially to anyone who has lost a relative to a terminal illness as there is something unique about it which makes this representation of loss and bereavement and of growing up, really beautiful.

Mira Levenson's family is always chaotic - with a little brother and baby sister, busy parents and her artistic, outspoken grandma. to be honest it was a good i idea/symbol, that was probably the smartest thing the Author came up with throught the 321 boring pages.

I also began to see why Josie was so beloved by all - she was fun, wise and extraordinary, someone I would be privileged to know in real life. This is a really fresh current look at a child from a diverse background, dealing with the death of a loved one, being a girl and, of course, young love. First of all, the grandmother (whose death of cancer is one of the major plot-points) is one of most endearing, most colourful characters in contemporary children's fiction. But I love this song and if you ignore the verses, this song really conveys the message that Nana Josie has been trying to teach Mira at throughout the book. I loved the relationship between Mira and Nana Josie, who still dresses in a hippy style as it suits her and who has spent a lifetime protesting against injustice.

In real life she was so shy and bumbling and it was so endearing that my heart nearly broke every time she tried to say something in class but couldn’t find the words and/or confidence.For a book with such a young protagonist and a target audience that is much younger than the YA books I normally read, this book deals with death with a unique maturity and sensitivity that other books seriously lack. The narrator was Tania Rodrigues and she did such a great job with each character and she was really, really nice to listen to. Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. To be honest, at first look I wasn't expecting all that much - the cover seemed a little 'young' and the blurb just sounded average. She loves them all, but sometimes it feels like nothing is private and there's nowhere for Mira to just be herself.