Children's Writer, Book Reviewer, Teacher, Artist
Yes! Yes! Yes! If there was ever a story to brighten a grey day, this is it. 'We Won An Island' is a charming, joyous, big grin of a book. I genuinely haven't read anything so uplifting since, well, maybe I was a child.
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The Butterworths have it hard. Their Grandma has died and they are about to be evicted from their home. This is until Luna Butterworth discovers a competition to win an island...
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In a fractured, difficult modern world, 'We Won An Island' is a beautifully told story of family, community and kindness which harks back to a more innocent age. Charlotte Lo's observations of family life, as well as the sheer excitement and energy of being a child, is superbly conceived. Luna is perhaps one of the most bouncy and positive protagonists in recent fiction. Today, with people struggling like the Butterworths and Brexit splintering communities, Charlotte Lo has created something to remind us of what unites us; how people are inherently good, caring and full of hope. Children will be left grinning for days, and oh how much that is needed! The depiction of the father and the small notes of change in him are expertly handled. Having put on plays and festivals as a child and as an adult, Charlotte Lo also captures the sheer joy and excitement of organizing an event to bind a community. Wonderful.
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With it's blue-sky cover, 'We Won An Island' is a book for the summer, and for every summer after that. Well done, Charlotte, what a delight you have created!
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https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-won-an-island/charlotte-lo/9781788000413