Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2018 Finalist

This is the tale of a little girl named Eleanor, who is quite extraordinary. She has a huge imagination, which isn't always welcomed by some of her peers.

Then story begins in brilliant rhyme, to introduce the little girl as someone who may not be all that she appears to be. She enjoys playing games of insects and reptiles, making potions and behaving like a witch, rather than baking with the other children.

She is discouraged to behave in such a manner that makes everyone else feel so uncomfortable, and her big imagination eventually catches up with her and she scares herself.

Eleanor gets punished for creating such a huge commotion, and begins to question herself, until she is approached by a kind, young teacher who tells her the opposite of what she has become accustomed to hearing, that she has a talent. He encourages her to harness her abilities and use them to create her very own play. She finally discovers an outlet for her ideas and gains a more positive belief in herself.

As she puts her pencil to paper, and releases all of the great ideas that she's had floating around in her head, her teacher keeps his promise and makes it into a play for the children to perform. Eleanor is no longer the strange child with a weird imagination, she is her own kind of wonderful with an incredible gift.

This book spoke to me on so many levels. Firstly, I identified with Eleanor myself from childhood. I wasn't quite like Eleanor, in that I liked My Little Pony, and other games that the children played, but my imagination was super strong! I was just as happy by myself, imagining toys coming to life, being in other places and creating spaces that were just for me and my 'friends'.

As I got older, I wrote stories and sang all the time, with people telling me to "be more realistic" with my goals; as a result of this constant belief that my dreams and ideas were just that, I didn't follow them for a long time. Eventually, although well into adulthood, I did follow them, and I'm now a children's author and a Whitney Houston tribute.

For my 9-year-old son, he and Eleanor are very similar. He has a huge imagination, which is quite dark in comparison to other children in his class, and he too prefers to play alone. He isn't discouraged, but he gets the same looks sometimes, and his brothers do like to wind him up. I know that he's amazing and one day, he's going to be fantastic at whatever he puts his mind to.

This book delivers such a brilliant message; be you! The world needs weird and wonderful people as much as it needs the ordinary, quiet, loud, big and small. Because what is 'normal' anyway? If we were all the same, it would be pretty boring, so be "unique" and do what makes your soul happy. The people who do, will change the world.

Then story begins in brilliant rhyme, to introduce the little girl as someone who may not be all that she appears to be. She enjoys playing games of insects and reptiles, making potions and behaving like a witch, rather than baking with the other children.

She is discouraged to behave in such a manner that makes everyone else feel so uncomfortable, and her big imagination eventually catches up with her and she scares herself.

Eleanor gets punished for creating such a huge commotion, and begins to question herself, until she is approached by a kind, young teacher who tells her the opposite of what she has become accustomed to hearing, that she has a talent. He encourages her to harness her abilities and use them to create her very own play. She finally discovers an outlet for her ideas and gains a more positive belief in herself.

As she puts her pencil to paper, and releases all of the great ideas that she's had floating around in her head, her teacher keeps his promise and makes it into a play for the children to perform. Eleanor is no longer the strange child with a weird imagination, she is her own kind of wonderful with an incredible gift.

This book spoke to me on so many levels, with its brilliant illustrations and wonderfully spooky colours. Firstly, I identified with Eleanor myself from childhood. I wasn't quite like Eleanor, in that I liked My Little Pony, and other games that the children played, but my imagination was super strong! I was just as happy by myself, imagining toys coming to life, being in other places and creating spaces that were just for me and my 'friends'.

As I got older, I wrote stories and sang all the time, with people telling me to "be more realistic" with my goals; as a result of this constant belief that my dreams and ideas were just that, I didn't follow them for a long time. Eventually, although well into adulthood, I did follow them, and I'm now a children's author and a Whitney Houston tribute.

For my 9-year old son, he and Eleanor are very similar. He has a huge imagination, which is quite dark in comparison to other children in his class, and he too prefers to play alone. He isn't discouraged, but he gets the same looks sometimes, and his brothers do like to wind him up. I know that he's amazing and one day, he's going to be fantastic at whatever he puts his mind to.

This book delivers such a brilliant message; be you! The world needs weird and wonderful people as much as it needs the ordinary, quiet, loud, big and small. Because what is 'normal' anyway? If we were all the same, it would be pretty boring, so be "unique" and do what makes your soul happy. The people who do, will change the world.

Available from Amazon, Blue Falcon Publishing and more...