Ella on the Outside

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I think this book is one that every teacher should read. It really gave me an insight into what life could be like for a new child in a class and how as teachers we often miss signs of what children are going through or how they treat each other. Children will also be able to relate to the characters because it is told through the voice of Ella and some of the experiences she has, such as moving to a new school, dealing with bullying/ manipulation from other children, joining existing groups of friends and the feeling of loneliness and being an outsider and not knowing how to fit in. Ella is constantly trying to please and make the right choice but often ends up hurting others in the process. A pattern that is shown in this story is how at the start of each chapter Ella has written a letter to her dad. Her letters are all different asking him different things that relate to her life and what she has been experiencing. We do not see a return letter to Ella until the last chapter where her dad replies to her about her visiting him at Christmas. In the letters that Ella writes, she is coming to terms with her dad being away but still has some questions, like is he allowed to have a break from prison to stay with her? The questions Ella has made me realise that children may not always fully understand their situations. Il segreto di Ella di Cath Howe, libro di narrativa per ragazzi, pubblicato il 10 ottobre da Terre di Mezzo. Ella on the Outside is a hugely relatable tale that will strike a chord with anyone who has felt the pressure to please a new friend or has struggled to fit in. Ella makes mistakes, but she's also hugely likeable, and author Cath Howe perfectly captures her anxieties and worries. This book is very honest and realistic, which makes it tough to read at times. This is part of the charm of the book, but it may be triggering or upsetting for sensitive readers.

L’auteur nous montre une petite fille de 10 ans, passionnée de photo, qui prendra des décisions, qui s’en mordra les doigts mais qui, en écoutant les adultes, saura qu’il faut faire le premier pas quand on a fait une bêtise, soit s’excuser. Elle en sortira grandie, elle se trouvera des amis, elle saura se rebeller contre ses condisciples. Elle ne gagnera pas en popularité, mais son grand coeur fera basculer les évènements en sa faveur et en faveur de ceux qui souffrent, qui sont malades ou encore enfermés. The only problem is, Lydia really wants to know what Ella's hiding and she's also desperate for intel on the quiet girl in class, Molly. So just how far will Ella go to keep her new friendship? Ella has just moved to a new town and has started at a new school. She has a huge secret that she can’t tell anyone- her dad is in prison for stealing money from the bank that he worked at. Ella will do whatever it takes to fit in with Lydia and her group of friends- even if it means spying on quiet and mysterious Molly and her mum. Tra i problemi con la madre e le lettere scritte al padre assente, Ella inizia la nuova scuola e cerca di osservare il mondo con i suoi occhi e non solo con l’obiettivo della fotocamera del suo nuovo telefono, regalo della nonna che appoggia le sue passioni.Elle intègre une nouvelle école mais n’a pas encore sa veste d’uniforme. Elle veut se faire des amis. There's a lot of heart in this, and Cath Howe's writing is perfectly pitched. It captures that confusion of trying to do the right thing, trying to fit in, whilst all along not being sure what that right thing is. It's a horribly familiar sentiment whatever age you are, and Howe gets the horrible edge of it so well. She also manages to get those moments of connection perfectly judged, those moments when you meet somebody who might normal and might be nice and might actually just turn out to be a friend after all of the drama has worked itself out. The most popular girl at school, Lydia, makes friends with Ella, but Lydia is domineering and manipulative. While Ella wonders about Lydia’s motives, she is flatter to be her friend. Another mystery is why Molly is so quiet and why Lydia doesn’t like her?

Quel “farsi trascinare” che spesso spinge chi è più debole a commettere atti spesso ai limiti del buon senso. Il segreto di Ella di Cath Howe è un libro sull’amicizia, sui nuovi inizi e sui segreti che rischiano di rovinare una famiglia. Ella is the new girl at school and things are going as well as you might expect under the circumstances. She's trying to fit in, not really managing, and there's this big secret that she's not allowed to tell anybody. When she's made friends with by Lydia (and I phrase that most deliberately thus), the school's number one, things seem to work out but they really don't. Lydia wants to know what Ella's secret is and nothing's going to stop her from finding out. And the worst sort of secrets are the ones which, inevitably, make themselves heard.Ella is facing some big changes. She's just had to start at a new school, she's moved away from her best friend Grace, her eczema is acting up, and on top of all that, she has a huge secret to keep about her family. So when Lydia, the most popular girl in school, wants to start hanging out, things must be on the up... right? There are many things to like about Ella on the Outside and I enjoyed it very much. The author, Cath Howe, has done a great job. It is well-written, the story unfolds at a good pace, and the use of Ella’s camera works well as a tool to convey information. The letters to Ella’s Dad allow us insights into Ella’s thoughts as well as her relationship with her Dad. It’s an effective sub-plot running through the story which connects in understated ways to the main story. Lydia isn’t your typical bully, and the word “bullying” isn’t used in the book, nevertheless Lydia’s actions are clearly designed to intimidate. The story has a satisfying ending.