How to Be Me

Bought for our eight year old granddaughter she will enjoy

This was a delightful story of a shy boy finding his way at a very difficult time in his life. It was very heartwarming with characters who are engaging and believable. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is suggested for youngsters of around 12 years old, but if you are looking for a nice story that will not take too long to read, this is the book for you.

The adventure of the kids imaging lead them on a journey of drama, excitement, love and especially cakes. This book has a great story line and is very easy to read.

I really enjoyed this book it was very exciting and it took me only three nights to read! I definitely reccomend How To Be Me

Bought for a birthday present.

I read How To Be Me to my 7 year old child throughout several nights as a bedtime story.It was so engaging, and heartwarming.It made us cry a few times. I love the way it is written! A must read for children and adults alike!

Poor rich Lucas has nobody who cares about him. His mother has died, his father is about to remarry, and Lucas has no friends except for his two cats, Tiger and Mowgli. When Dad insists he joins a drama group Lucas is horrified, but it proves to make a huge difference to his life. The story is told with great empathy and understanding of the plight of children who may have plenty of material goods but little love in their lives. Cath Howe is an inspiring writer - I love her books!

Since his mum died, nothing has gone right for Lucas. He doesn’t fit in anywhere – except, perhaps, with his cats Tiger and Mowgli. He’s, therefore, filled with horror when his dad arranges for Lucas to attend summer drama club. Naturally shy, Lucas can think of nothing worse. He also can’t think of a way out. He plans to keep his head down and simply survive but things don’t work out as planned. With a bit of help from some new friends, Lucas is about to set out on a journey of self-discovery.How to be Me is a wonderful example of a character-driven middle grade novel. On the surface Lucas has everything but, despite being super-rich, he’s actually extremely lonely and becoming increasingly withdrawn. Still grieving for his mum, he’s struggling to build any meaningful relationships. He doesn’t understand and can’t communicate with his dad, is wary of his dad’s new girlfriend, and intimidated by the prospect of drama club. The objections of the new au pair when she’s asked to work extra hours only adds to Lucas’s feelings of isolation.This detailed characterisation – coupled with a perfectly pitched first-person voice – means we empathise with Lucas from the opening line and are immediately invested in the character arc of the book. We sympathise as he struggles to fit in at the new drama class and relief floods us as he slowly begins to make friends. I particularly liked the scenes where Keely and her brother descend on Lucas and demand to see the “ballroom” he inadvertently mentioned at drama club. I also liked the way Keely is mystified why Lucas would prefer working his socks off in her family café to staying at home. As a reader we, of course, know it’s because Lucas’s house is empty and Keely’s is full of love and laughter.Themes around the importance of family and friends come across clearly. However, even stronger is the way the book shines a light on Lucas’s development as he overcomes his shyness, finds his own voice and finally stands up for himself. Indeed, the moving climax brought tears to my eyes.