I Am Lenny Brown
by Dan Freedman, illustrated by Kajsa Hallström
Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 7+
Published by Puffin, 2023
About this book
At home with Mum and Rocky, his farting dog, Lenny Brown is chatty and happy but at school it’s a different story because there, Lenny can’t speak. He has plenty to say but the words just won’t come out of his mouth.
He manages because his teacher looks out for him but when he has to move house, and school, Lenny is devastated.
With no friends to confide in, and not wanting to worry his mum, he starts to put his thoughts, feelings and worries into a diary. And, very gradually, and with Rocky’s help, he finds a new way to express himself.
Very short chapters, varied fonts and black and white illustrations make Lenny’s story appealing and accessible to a wide range of readers. Ideal as a shared reading project and to kickstart discussions about diversity, empathy and inclusivity.
Your heart will ache for Lenny, then beat a little faster when he finally achieves his goals.
This is a story of loneliness, courage, kindness and joy whose key message is that there is no such thing as ‘normal’. We are all one-of-a-kind and should not have to fit into the same boxes as other people.
About the author
More books like this
-
Quiet Storm
by Kimberly Whittam
11 to 14 years
-
Just Like Everyone Else
by Sarah Hagger-Holt
9 to 14 years
-
50 Ways into Football
by Dan Freedman and Daniel Geey
9 to 14 years
-
Unstoppable
by Dan Freedman
11 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Books featuring letters or diaries
Letters or diaries can be brilliantly purposeful ways to learn and practise reading and writing skills. There is a certain magic and excitement to writing a message and sending it out into the world, knowing that somebody somewhere will read it and respond to you. Letters can be as simple or as complex as your need demands, whether you are writing to wish someone a happy birthday, to invite people to an event, to your future self in the form of a diary or perhaps to persuade or inform with a more formal tone. The following books are for a mixed primary age-range and all feature letters or diaries in a variety of forms. We hope that they will help children to see the value in letter writing and maybe inspire them to write a few of their own!