Get The Lighthouse Code (Ellie Booton's Journal) Picturized By Flinty Maguire Presented As Mobi

Calm, Measured and Insightful Look At Bullying and Life

This is the second Ellie Booton book and it differs considerably from the first.
Book one, "Trouble at the Crab Shack Cafe", features young Ellie Booton, In it she recounts the events of a tumultuous summer in her little village, It's funny and insightful and introduces an endearing and perceptive new heroine in the person of Ellie Booton, There are many story lines, but the book is episodic and mostly tied together by the overlapping and interconnected lives of the people in Ellie's village and the members of Ellie's family.
Ellie sees a lot and understands most of what she sees, while we understand the rest of it,

This second book in the series has a more focused plot, a message and a point of view.
While there are side stories, some humorous set pieces, and some echoes of events from the first book, the main thrust of this story relates to bullying and the complicated process that kids go through in deciding how to react to, deal with, and report bullying.


While book one was mainly a cheerful lark, this book falls mostly into the category of a "problem

book".
That's not at all a bad thing, and a book that addresses bullying in a realistic way is always welcome, but it does make this a different reading experience.
Added to that, some of the incidental subplots are a bit dark and add a hint of gloom and edginess to the early sections of the book.
We all come out into the light by the end, but that doesn't feel like a sure thing at the outset.


All of that said, it is important to stress that Ellie Booton remains an engaging and sympathetic heroine.
Her voice is strong and her observations are always interesting and well expressed, Also, a number of characters from the first book, especially Grandma and Ellie's brother's girlfriend Susannah, continue as strong, appealing and wise/comforting presences.
Ellie's friends also distinguish themselves, While they are sometimes confused or indecisive, they are also bright, thoughtful, loyal and sensitive,

Of the two main points that I took from the book , the first was a better understanding of how and why kids can convince themselves to keep silent about bullying.
The second was an appreciation of how alert adults can cut through that silence and release the kids from their quandary.


The upshot is that this book is considerably more than a kids version of a village comedy of manners.
This book makes a point and encourages one to think about bullying, It does so in a convincing fashion that feels authentic and avoids false steps or exaggeration, It's not that often that you find a middle grade book that is practical, pertinent, thought provoking, and engaging, but that's where I ended up as I read this book.


Please note that I found this book by searching Amazon KindleUnlimited free downloads, I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book, Ellie Booton has two brothers Eddie, who's twenty something and Fin, the shock late addition, Her father is a writer, preoccupied and self doubting, Her mother is waging a quiet battle against depression, Ellie's the middle kid occupying a pretty lonely space, They all live with Grandma, who wisely fills the gaps in Ellie's life with sensitive attention,

Life becomes pretty tricky, A red light flashing from the lighthouse is a symbolic warning, It seems like a good idea to audition for the school play but it's the beginning of a downward slide.
Gilby, a sly bully, is about to take centre stage and Juna, a shadow of a girl, hovers in the wings.
Cooper hunches his shoulders against the cold, ever watchful, And then there's flamehaired Elsie: talented, pretty and vulnerable a perfect target,

Theres danger in the air, Someone, somewhere is trying to get a message through, But what is it and who is it for

This story deals with the psychology of isolation, friendship and threat.
It touches on fuzzy logic and algebra as problem solving devices and it tests endurance and courage,

Ellie must reach out and try to solve the coded messages before its too late, Flinty Maguire lives at the coast in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and mum, She has two dogs: a golden Labrador who loves to paddle and eat well, anything really and a quirky rescue fluff ball who lives to adore and be adored.
There are also rescue hens in the family, and long may they cluck, .