Coming to England: An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation

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Smart, courageous Mia Tang runs the front desk at a motel, but will her family ever escape the poverty trap and gain everything the USA has to offer? Based on the author’s life story. 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. People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can now end self-isolation after 7 days with 2 negative lateral flow tests. Did you learn any new words or facts from this book? Jacob said he didn’t know the word Trinidad. “I know England though because that is where we live.” People fully-jabbed in the EU or US will not need to isolate when coming to England, Scotland and Wales from an amber list country

Coming to England – An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation by Floella Benjamin and illustrated by Diane Ewen is published by Macmillan Children's Books on 8 October. Coming to England is a picture book about the life of Floella Benjamin. Reading it will tell you about how she achieved her dream. You look at it holistically. I had to think very carefully about what I wanted very young children to know and grasp. Some of them know about moving to a new place, so they can understand the concept of moving. Some of them know about parents leaving, even if it's for a couple of weeks, so they know the emotional feeling that gives you. Which of the characters did you find most interesting and why?Jacob liked Dardie the best because “he could play the saxophone.” A story about the triumph of hope, love, and determination, Coming to England is the inspiring true story of Baroness Floella Benjamin: from Trinidad, to London as part of the Windrush generation, to the House of Lords.

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Children should be of all cultures in stories because that's the society we live in, and this is especially true of picture books. With non-illustrated books for older children you can imagine what you like. But in a picture book you must spell it out. I loved the colourful illustrations showing life in Trinidad and less colourful ones in England. I would recommend this book to everyone: 10 out of 10. Did you enjoy the book? Explain your answer if it is yes or no.Yes. Floella got to meet the Queen when she was older. This book is about her life as a little girl who came to England. She always had a lot of ambition. In the book she says, “I dreamt of meeting the Queen.” She came from a very positive family; as they say in the book, “We have been invited to go to England!” They were among many people who went to work in England.

Was the plot exciting, thought provoking, serious or light hearted?It was a serious, interesting book about Floella going to England. The author has many problems. She moves from colourful Trinidad to a dull England to join her Marmie and Dardie who went to London for work. She feels unwelcome, she doesn’t know what an escalator or a telephone is for. She experiences discrimination. Her ambition is to meet the Queen. She works hard to settle in her new home. One day, she achieves her dream! Now she works to help other people at the House of Lords. I love the way BookTrust gives books to all children and parents. That is so important. Before a child can read the words, a picture is telling the story and connections are being made - for life. Children are connecting all the time and they are seeing things for the first time, and that's why it's such a responsibility to get things right.Your travel provider, or the transport hub you travel through, may have COVID-19 rules in place. For example, they may require or advise you to wear a face covering. Follow ten-year-old Floella as she and her family set sail from the Caribbean to a new life in London. Alone on a huge ship for two weeks, then tumbled into a cold and unfriendly London, coming to England wasn't at all what Floella had expected . . . What will her new school be like? Will she meet the Queen? It's got to be inspirational, beautiful and perfect. If you tell a story, it's got to be the best. Because remember, whatever they get first will stay with them forever.