posted on 08 Feb 2023

Next to Alice by Anne Fine

I know from personal experience that who you sit next to in class can become part of your life forever – sometimes for good and sometimes, well, not so good. My good classroom neighbour was Roger, who has stayed a friend of mine for over 50 years now and, even though we meet or communicate only rarely, we have the kind of relationship that can be picked up without a hiccup. My not-so-good classroom partner was Whitlock, a perfectly nice youngster who happened to be a maths whizz while I was a maths refusenik. I survived maths lessons by simply copying Whitlock’s work without ever understanding any of it – as a result I’ve never passed a maths test or exam in my life. I now feel very much poorer for that.

Award-winning, former Children’s Laureate, Anne Fine has taken on the thorny issue of who you get to sit next to at school in her latest book for Barrington Stoke, Next to Alice. Ben has to move from his single desk by the classroom window in order for the school caretaker to mend the broken glass and his teacher has decided he should move to the empty desk that adjoins one occupied by Alice. Not so bad you might think but there’s a problem for timid Ben – Alice is downright SCARY! Everyone in the class seems to know this except the teacher and now Ben is going to have to find out just how scary.

Soon enough Alice begins to make her mark. Ben’s drawing isn’t good enough, his handwriting is dreadful and when he eats he gobbles……..Alice critiques everything. But when Ben is forced to take notice of her and begin to mend his ways, he suddenly discovers that just maybe Alice has a point. His newly careful work gets praise from the teacher and when he’s eating more slowly and really noticing his food, he enjoys it so much more.

But soon the broken window is fixed and its time for Ben to return to his own desk but just as he had pleaded passionately with the teacher not to sit next to Alice, now he’s pleading to be allowed to stay next to her……..

There are plenty of full and half-page black and white illustrations by Gareth Conway that capture some of the key moments in the story.

Barrington Stoke are publishers that specialise in books for reluctant readers of all kinds and this one, guided for readers aged 7+, is a perfect length and Anne Fine’s characteristic humour keeps the story bouncing along.

Available this month, you should be able to order the book from your local independent bookshop or go directly to the Barrington Stoke website to order your copy.

 

Terry Potter

February 2023