As a massive fan of Rosie Jones, I was super excited when I saw that she had released a children's book. Even more excited when I found out that the central character of said book would have cerebral palsy. The disability that Rosie Jones lives with. Characters: Edie is positive and bold, but still has to go through struggles of school, friends, boyfriends and daily disability struggles. I just have a weak spot for diary-written-books. This one is no different. I just loved reading this dairy and I had a laugh at the beginning, because in the beginning of the diary Edie was not a fan. But her mom promised her some money if she would keep on writing because mom thought it would be good for Edie to get her thoughts on paper. But as the story goes on we see that Edie gets more invested in the diary and takes it with her everywhere. I loved that! Thankfully, since my own childhood, there has been an explosion of LGBTQ+ representation in children’s fiction. LGBTQ+ literature is being discovered, recovered and celebrated, by readers of all ages, and children can finally enjoy stories that they can recognise themselves in.

But while she’s plotting her reunion with Oscar, she accidentally gets cast as the lead in the school play. As Edie discovers a passion for performance, she also finds new friendships, talents, and dreams. After all, it’s easy to shine on and off the stage when you’re Amazing with a capital A. I’m a little bit different. I have a disability called cerebral palsy, so I talk slowly and fall over a lot. It’s never really bothered me because I’ve never known anything else. We also meet some other girls, Georgia was eventually pretty nice but dang that girl needs to understand that there are some things you shouldn’t say. XD Poppy was such a sweetheart. Vrolijke nieuwe (autobiografisch te noemen) reeks door komiek Rosie Jones over een meisje met een handicap: Edie heeft hersenverlamming (net als Rosie, als je haar nog niet kent, google haar dan. Ze heeft geniale optredens en ze is echt een genot om te zien op de Britse panel shows). Door haar handicap spreekt Edie trager en valt ze veel over haar eigen voeten. Ze is heerlijk positief en leert in dit boek wat meer op zichzelf te vertrouwen. Het is de start van een zelfontdekking. Bijvoorbeeld dat ze veel dingen zelf kan, dat ze acteren leuk vindt en dat ze misschien wel helemaal geen vriendje wil (want vlinders in je buik krijg je niet alleen van jongens, dat kan ook van meisjes).

Edie was a wonderful character but I have to say that I liked her in the end more than in the beginning. There is quite a simple reason for that. In the beginning Edie was a nice girl and a great MC, but she kept using her CP to get out of things (The Card), or expected people to do everything for her because of that. While she is very much able to do things herself. When someone told her no she just would get huffy. And there were some other things that just had me shaking my head. But as the story continued I started seeing a new Edie. One I definitely liked more than the one in the beginning. I saw an Edie who discovered that she can do things. That she can be independent. That her CP doesn’t always work with things, but that there is plenty that she can do. She doesn’t need someone to bring her tights or clean her mouth if she dribbles. It was also great that there were also key characters who told her this, who talked to her. She really grows a lot in that aspect and it was just beautiful. I loved that she discovered that not only is she a great writer, but also a great actor. I loved seeing her embrace her role in the musical and see her try to get through the lines (so many of those). I loved seeing her add a little bit of her own in the character she is playing. But then the school organises a camping trip.... complete with muddy walks and team games. It is a DISASTER. The only fun bit is sitting by the fire and telling stories. I think this series is going to do really well, and I'll be here to cheer Edie (and Rosie) on with every volume. De 11-jarige Edie en haar beste vriend Oscar gaan naar de middelbare school. Maar hoe moet het nu Oscar ineens in een andere klas komt en gelijk een vriendinnetje krijgt? Ze heeft altijd genoeg gehad aan haar beste vriend Oscar, maar nu hij druk bezig is moet ze er aan geloven.... ze zal andere vrienden moeten maken. En...zal het haar lukken om tijdens haar eerste schooljaar een date te scoren? Don’t get me wrong those types of books mentioned above are really important and absolutely have there purpose.

Why am I the only one who doesn’t know what to be when I grow up? Why am I the only one worried about going on the school drama trip? And why am I the only one who thinks eating 21 Brussels sprouts at once is YUMMY?’ It’s the start of Year Eight and there’s a new girl in Edie’s class from America! Edie can’t wait to get to know Mia and her twin brother, Benjamin. This is Thrilling with a capital T! Especially as Mrs Adler sits Mia next to Edie in class. Mia has a hearing impairment and wears hearing aids. She seems shy and Edie knows how scary it can feel to join a new school. Maybe Edie can be the jam to Mia’s jelly? It’s time for… THE FRIEND MISSION!Each generation has a series of children’s books that is guaranteed to spark nostalgia in the decades to come. They grew alongside the characters that they love. For my parents, it was The Famous Five by Enid Blyton. For me, it was Rainbow Magic and Goosebumps. Now, Rosie Jones is bringing this joy to another generation. Loved it! Read it in two sittings! Displays real pre teen life and just happening to have a disability. Does not focus on the disability and at the same time, the disability affects her everyday life. Loved her energy and attitude. Hope to see more from Edie in the future! But as I grew, the more I began to question myself. I didn’t understand why my friends thought boys were cool, or why the adults around me said I’d marry a man one day. Confused and frustrated, I turned to books for answers. But all I could find were stories about princes chasing after princesses, and queens being saved by knights. As each World Book Day passed, I never felt quite content with my costumes. Because for that one day, I wanted to dress as a character who was like me.

Oscar makes new friends playing football, and Olivia wins a place in the school musical. Boyfriends and girlfriends complicate school. How do they sort out their friendship, and do they make new friends? I would recommend this book for everyone, including parents/teachers/adults of all kinds. There are excellent jokes that will make you giggle too, Clare Balding and Alan Carr both feature (lol), you’ll have to read the book to find out more!Edie is my new role model, her bravery and positivity are contagious. I can’t wait to read more of her adventures from Rosie Jones. Edie is an average eleven-year-old girl; she has a loving family and a best friend named Oscar who shares her love of sausage rolls and Marvel films. She also has cerebral palsy which makes her a little wobbly, more likely to fall over, and a little slower at talking. Edie has always relied on Oscar to help her out – he even carries a special box around with him that includes plasters and spare tights – but at their new school they are put into separate classes and Edie realizes she won’t always be able to rely on him anymore. A sparky middle-grade series from TV comedian Rosie Jones. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and DORK DIARIES. Edie has Cerebral Palsy. Before I read this book, I didn’t know what Cerebral Palsy was, but I do now, and Edie tells us how she’d like people to talk to her about it. I really liked the way it was written as Edie’s diary. It’s like a friend chatting to you and you learn about her feelings. Edie is also very funny.

Note: This book will be illustrated. My copy didn't have illustrations included, so I can't comment on them fully, but I've seen sneak peeks that look great.

This book is as funny and warm as a sausage roll. I loved it!’ Jenny McLachlan, author of Land of Roar This was an outstanding book from a new author who also lives with cerebral palsy, giving the story real insight into the experiences of a disabled tween taking those first big steps into real independence. Edie’s disability is obviously a key element of her story, but it never takes over to *become* the story. Instead, we see how Edie faces some big changes in her life, dealing with the occasional unthinking comment or obstacle as a result of her cerebral palsy but being a very average tween girl at the same time. This is very far from the kind of “inspiration porn” stories that are often shared regarding disability and is instead a story that is genuinely heartwarming and also laugh-out-loud funny, Sophie was also surprised and delighted to spot some strong, unexpected LGBTQ representation here too.