Vera McLuckie hates school. Mainly because she struggles with stuff the other kids find easy. Oh, and because she keeps getting into trouble for doing what she is really good at. Daydreaming. So when Vera gets the chance to show just how extraordinary she is, will she dare take on the coolest, smartest girl in the whole of Acorn Bank Primary? This book works on several levels. It is a lovely story in itself that most children will relate to, dealing as it does with lack of self-belief, peer pressure and the bullying that goes along with not necessarily being the most popular kid in class. These issues can be readily picked up in school and discussed in circle time and PSHE (citizenship) lessons. But it goes deeper. Whilst not named in the book explicitly, the three main characters exhibit dyspraxic, dyslexic and autistic (Asperger's Syndrome) tendencies respectively. So the story can be used by parents and teachers as a catalyst for discussing what it is like to have a learning difficulty. In schools, teachers can use the book on a one-to-one, group or class basis to help raise awareness and improve well-being.The publisher is dedicated to publishing books that share experiences, improve understanding and celebrate differences. To this end it provides free cross-curricula teaching resources with all of its books at www.yourstoriesmatter.org

 

This book is aimed at children in primary school.

There are 188 pages in this book. This book was published 2017 by Explainer HQ .

Jane Evans is a Trauma Parenting Specialist, international speaker and Freelance Trainer. She has worked as a respite foster carer, a domestic violence parenting worker, a registered child minder and a family support worker. She is the author of How Are You Feeling Today Baby Bear?: Exploring Big Feelings After Living in a Stormy Home, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Jane Evans lives in Edinburgh, UK with her husband, daughter, cat and six fish. Although she has had many different jobs over the years, she keeps coming back to her first love, writing. 'Vera McLuckie and the Day Dream Club' is her first book, written with kids in mind who sometimes find things a bit tricky. Ruth Mutch is a young artist, living in Glasgow with her rather lazy cat Phoebe. She is autistic and has a post graduate qualification in autism as well as a Primary Educational Studies degree and an HND in interactive media. She has a lot of experience of autistic children. Mutch has done various illustrations for autism awareness including an e-learning course but this is her first venture into illustrating a children's fiction book which she is very excited about!