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'A sweet, coming-of-age tale of a young squirrel and all the crazy antics he gets up to. Highly recommended for 7 – 11 year olds!' The Wishing Shelf


I must say, there's a lot to enjoy here in this sweetly told story of a young squirrel called Stikki. The author, Jane H. Wood, is a talented writer (and illustrator) who knows how to tell a story to young children. Her book, helped along by a number of wonderful line drawings, will engage most 7-11 year olds as they get to follow Stikki on his adventure out into the big wide world.
So, what's the story about. Well, in a nutshell, when Stikki and his two sisters finally get out of the nest, they find an exciting world full of, well, all sorts of wonderful (and often confusing) things – the slimy ooze from slugs, a vast puddle thing, and, of course, longlegs – you can probably guess what they are! What follows is a fun-filled adventure with a classic Enid Blyton / A. A. Milne feel to it.
There were a number of elements to this smartly plotted story I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, I loved Stikki; he's so full of energy and so wanting to know what everything is and how everything works, the prefect protagonist for this sort of story. Secondly, there's a good flow to the writing style; not only that, but the vocabulary is also well-chosen, making it accessible to the reading age. And thirdly, it's all so very innocence. Yes, there's danger, but it' mostly the exciting sort, and nothing too terrible ever happens.
So, if you are a grandparent, parent or school looking for a 'safe', classic-feeling chapter book for 7 – 11 year olds, you can't go too far wrong with Stikki the Squirrel. It's a fun story filled with all sorts of twists and turns, and I suspect most young readers will enjoy getting to know Stikki and rooting for him.

'Wishing Shelf' Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk