Rosie Jones, what an inspiration! So glad youngsters can enjoy her talent through these books. Love them.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

Well this might demand a rethink of the first book. I did once give that a quick once-over, but thought it didn’t really engage me as an adult and seemed to get nowhere fast. And yes, that was me reading it, and not the author, as I did once have the privilege of witnessing. This, even though I picked up a couple of bits of info about the first book by hearsay, seemed to float my boat much more easily.

Edie’s character revolves around very little to start with – her life is hindered somewhat by her having cerebral palsy (much like the author, of course) and is mostly concerned with eating as much as possible. Good job it’s a typical fictional Christmas, then, when everything in the house gets eaten within days. But there is also the success in the school play to factor in, and a slight worry that her two best friends might not fully get along together. Because Oscar split up with his girlfriend as he thought it destiny that he and Edie be together, and Edie, well – let’s just sing along that she kissed a girl and she liked it (much like the author, of course).

All told, I certainly engaged with this book a lot more than I did the first one’s opening. The core of it is a disastrous drama boot camp, where some bigoted harridan tells them to get through preparing for a performance in under a week, and it’s Ibsen of all people. Luckily the contents of “A Doll’s House” are barely mentioned, because while that focuses on a woman not allowed to be who she needs to be, this book looks at a young woman not knowing who she wants to be. Edie is torn between writing and drama, and of course not knowing if she should pursue her lesbian relationship. To such an extent she cannot even complete the English course project of presenting who she is.

The moral of the piece is, then, that just being the best you you can manage is the best way to live, with a side order of adults not knowing everything either. At times this is desperately woke – a teacher is in a two-mother relationship, or whatever they’re called, the book assumes an uber-accepting outlook of all its characters and readers, and it’s not only cerebral palsy that gets explored in the way of medical afflictions. But at the best of times there is an edge here – the school trip not allowed to fall into the Best Time Ever trap, and the whole awkwardness in relation to drama and romance a kind of realistic corrective to my beloved Louise Rennison novels, for all the sheer unrealistic, tidy and happy endings we’re privy to here.

Speaking of Ms Rennison, I have to maintain she is/was the funnier author. But Jones here has a spark about her, and as I say is not shy with bringing the nitty-gritty and the wobbliness of her life into her fictional variant. Also, there are definitely more books to come in this series (well, at least a third), and this never has a difficult-second-book syndrome. There really should have been more about Edie than an appetite her stomach cannot keep up with, but these pages actually make her quite loveable (much like the author, of course).

This book is all about being comfortable in your own skin. It reminds you throughout to be true to yourself and that it is okay not to have all of the answers.

I loved the first book in the Edie Eckhart series: The Amazing Edie Eckhart. To be fair I was always going to read it. I love Rosie Jones. She cracks me up and she has done so much for disability visibility whilst managing to be her silly - sometimes naughty - self. Yet, even if I didn't love Rosie Jones and I was reading this book with no other information about the author I would absolutely be singing its praises for its celebration of diversity - whether that be race, sexuality or disability.

In the second outing The Amazing Edie Eckhart - The Big Trip we see Edie confront a few new challenges. She struggles with acceptance (mainly from ignorant adults) and have to fight for her space as people underestimate just what she can do. These stories are such a lovely way of opening up the conversation about disability and highlight some of the daily struggle that someone with Cerebral Palsy might face. Things that most of us take for granted. Rosie Jones is pioneering the way for stories that celebrate difference and champion disabled characters which is something we need in middle grade fiction rather than the sometimes dreary and upsetting stories of adversity - those books do have their place and I am not hating on them but it is just so joyful and refreshing to see a book about a character who has a disability where the disability - whilst important - isn't the only thing about the character that we talk about.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Amazing Edie Eckhart - The Big Trip by Rosie Jones is available now.

For more information regarding Rosie jones (@josierones) please visit www.rosiejonescomedy.com.

For more information regarding Hachette Children's Group (@HachetteKids) please visit www.hachettechildrens.co.uk.

Warning: contains spoilers for Book 1.

Every so often, a book takes me completely by surprise and one such title was The Amazing Edie Eckhart which published last summer. If I’m honest, I really didn’t think it would be up to much and that Rosie Jones would prove to be yet another celebrity author whose books would be best avoided. How wrong I was.

That first title showed that not only can she write a cracking story but she can do so with enormous amounts of empathy, humour and wit and so when I saw that this title was on Net Galley, I immediately submitted my request and waited not very patiently until approval. After reading it over the course of two evenings, I am delighted to tell you that this is every bit as gorgeous as the first title and left me with the same warm fuzzy feeling that reading that did.

We pick up Edie’s story a couple of days before Christmas, getting into the Christmas spirit following her first term at high school. When Grandad Eric arrives on Christmas Eve, the festivities get into full swing ahead of the big day itself when little brother Louie is delighted to receive a new bike. Also delighted is Edie, who has been given a special notebook in which to write stories and poems – something she has not done much of as late because she has been busy taking on the starring role in the school Christmas production. A few days later, after being invited to a party at best friend Oscar’s girlfriend’s house, Edie decides to spend a quiet New Year’s Eve with another friend – Flora, with whom Edie shared a kiss at the end of Book 1, leading Edie to reflect on just how much she loves being in Flora’s company.

Returning to school after the break, Edie is pleased to restart drama club and very excited when Mr Murphy tells those attending that he has arranged a drama trip at half term – a bootcamp where everyone will be able to improve their skills. Managing to persuade her parents to let her go, Edie is thrilled at the prospect of a few days away but with another school attending too, the experience threatens not to be as much fun as she believed it would be.

Not only is Edie disappointed in her big trip but she starts to have doubts as to who she really is. Should she be an actor or a writer? Could she do both? And after that kiss, just how does she feel about Flora?

Edie is such a fabulous character. Brought up by her family to have an I can attitude and to be as fiercely independent as she is able, here she experiences the feelings of confusion and self-doubt that children of her age do as they transition from childhood into adolescence. So many young readers will recognise that conflict as something that they too are experiencing and it is tackled so sensitively here that this story will not only promote discussions in school where it is used as a read aloud text but will reassure children that this is a normal part of growing up.

Something that not all children will experience is the negative attitude that some others have towards Edie because she is disabled. Sadly, this is something that we know happens all too often but perhaps most shockingly, the story includes an adult character who is prejudiced against our protagonist – someone who our children might expect to know better. Again, this is handled with supreme care and for all children enjoying this read, the story shows that being a grown-up does not give you the right to belittle those more vulnerable than yourself, encouraging those who find themselves in this position to speak up for themselves and confide in a trusted adult.

This really is the most delightful read. Packed with laugh-out-loud moments and with a heart-warming storyline that left me wanting more, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Perfect for Year 5 readers upwards, I am hugely indebted to Hachette Children’s Group and to Net Galley for my advance virtual read ahead of publication on August 18th.