Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
At the time, Floella was a child in Trinidad, everybody there believed life in England was great. Now, many people in England would love to live on a tropical island! In the book, Floella always looked confident, but was she really? Since Name our Storms first launched in 2015 we have issued a new list of names each September. The list runs from early September to late August the following year, to coincide with the start of autumn and the end of summer, when we see the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for named storms increase. Why are we naming storms? I recommend this picture book to everyone. The vivid illustrations work so well with the writing. You can tell that Floella and Diane Ewen, the illustrator, worked closely together to recreate Floella’s world, making me feel as though I was there with her.
We will only use names that have been officially designated by the National Weather Service in the US. Do other countries around the world use a similar system?The story of a young girl who did not lose hope fills me with admiration. She found a way to achieve her ambition. Her ambition led her to the House of Lords and the Queen! I would like to know more, I hope there’s a more detailed autobiography. Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)?Exciting. Not only did Floella learnt about England, I did too!! The author of this inspirational book is a girl who experienced the long journey. She tells her autobiography with the illustrator, Diane Ewen. There aren’t many words but the words and the pictures work together powerfully. I love the illustrator’s vibrant colours in the book when Floella’s talking about Trinidad and the way the colours change in England. Her changing schools’ moment is something I can empathise with. No, it was always an autobiographical story. In fact, when I wrote it at first it was twice as long and had to be edited to be so much shorter. So I didn't conceive it as a picture book until now.
Historian David Olusoga reads Coming to England, the true story of Baroness Floella Benjamin's journey from Trinidad to London in 1960. England wasn’t a giant iceberg as Floella’s brother said. It was cold but not that cold! Much colder and less colourful than Trinidad and getting around London was very different to getting around Trinidad. The escalators and underground trains were new to Floella and her family. I was sad that people were not very kind to them at first but they got through it. From 4am 30 November 2021, fully vaccinated people must self-isolate and take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after they arrive in England. They may leave self-isolation if their PCR result is negative. Lateral flow tests will not be accepted.Which of the characters did you find most interesting and why? I found Floella most interesting because she wanted to be the queen. I would have liked some more detail about how Floella became successful. She wanted to meet the Queen and she did! I would like to know more about this. Would you recommend it to other children?Yes. Floella was bullied by her classmates but later she became friends with them. Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story?No because I think it is a book for beginners. Would you recommend this book? Jacob said “Miss Worrall will like this book because we are learning about different skin colours at school.”
Her story really has power. The young Floella wants to meet the Queen, little does she know, she will grow up to meet the Queen! What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you?Yes. I live in England but the story was set way before I was born.To ensure we are in line with the US National Hurricane Centre naming conventions, we are not going to include names which begin with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z. This will maintain consistency for official storm naming in the North Atlantic. How are storm names chosen? Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why?Floella’s father. I have never read a book where the father wants to be a jazz musician. Even though Floella was discriminated against as a child, she kept her ambition, “I still dreamt of meeting the Queen.” She never let things get her down. I think Floella is happy that she migrated to England: otherwise, she would not be a Dame, a politician working in the House of Lords. And, she yes, did meet the Queen!
Floella Benjamin has rewritten her groundbreaking autobiography Coming to England, turning it into a picture book with beautiful illustrations by Diane Ewen. Stories of Joy and Hope: share your story to win a school visit from our Writer in Residence Smriti Halls What made the history or the time it was set interesting? Jacob said he liked the book “my teacher sent me this because we are learning about different people.” Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story?I learnt that meeting new people is very hard but you always have to keep going and never give up. From 4am 7 January you do not have to quarantine on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England.The book told me about the British Empire and about why people came to England from the other side of the world. I empathised with Floella’s worries about moving somewhere new with new people. It must have been hard too, to cope with the change of climate. London was cold and the people were cold as well. Being happy with her family again, helped her cope with the discrimination, she settled in and it felt like home. This moving tale not only explores a key part of British history from a child’s perspective, but also highlights the importance of celebrating diversity and welcoming new people into the community. It is an inspirational read for children who may have had similar experiences and is ideal to encourage compassion and tolerance in young people. This edition is accompanied by vibrant watercolour illustrations which help bring the tale to life. I think Coming to England is a great book. The story tells us about the author, Floella Benjamin’s troubles, as she perseveres and one day meets the Queen.
Great Deal 
New Comment