Thunderboots by Naomi Jones: Dyslexia Awareness Week

Thunderboots by Naomi Jones & Rebecca Ashdown is the story of Trixie. And Trixie might just be one of my all time favourite kids book characters! She’s full of bounce and energy that exudes off the page! She’s the smallest, and loudest, person in her building. She’s full of enthusiasm and cartwheels and is so excited to learn. She’s starting school and she can’t wait. She loves numbers, and stories, and PE.

She tries so hard with her letters, reading and writing. But even after all that hard work, she still finds it tricky. The letters just won’t stay still. They seem to dance (a bit like Trixie herself) across the page!

Disheartened, Trixie becomes very un-Trixie-like (yes a real adjective!) and when Dad asked her what’s wrong, she quietly tells him why. And that’s when, together with her teacher, and the Support for Learning <insert the appropriate job title for your area> teacher, the come up with The Plan. 

An important part of why this book is so brilliant is that the author is speaking from her own voices experience and has a personal connection to her character Trixie. Nicknamed Thunderboots as a child, writer Naomi Jones was diagnosed with dyslexia at University. This really helped her understand how she thought and learned and there is a lovely letter at the beginning of the book (I’ve included a picture) where she shows that dyslexia has helped her “dream up ideas, worlds, and characters.”