Sydney thinks her mother Amy is the best mom in the world--even if she is a bit . . . different from other kids' parents. As Amy explains it, when she was a girl she got to 48 inches tall and then stopped growing right there.
It's the perfect height, in Sydney's big enough to reach the ice cream at the supermarket, but small enough to be special. Anyway, Sydney's big sister Jade is always there to help out with the stuff on the highest shelves. And though Sydney's dad died when she was only five, she's never felt alone or that there isn't enough love to go around.
But when they are forced to move to another neighborhood, things get more difficult for their little family. Sydney and Jade have to get used to different routines, make a whole new set of friends, and deal with the bullies at their new school.
And then there's the whole business of growing up. But Sydney doesn't want to grow up--not if it means getting taller than her mom.
Sydney thinks her mother, Amy is the best mom in the world--even if she is a bit . . . different from other kids' parents. As Amy explains it, when she was a girl she got to 48 inches tall and then stopped growing right there.
It's the perfect height, in Sydney's opinion: big enough to reach the ice cream at the supermarket, but small enough to be special. Anyway, Sydney's big sister Jade is always there to help out with the stuff on the highest shelves. And though Sydney's dad died when she was only five, she's never felt alone or that there isn't enough love to go around.
But when they are forced to move to another neighborhood, things get more difficult for their little family. Sydney and Jade have to get used to different routines, make a whole new set of friends, and deal with the bullies at their new school.
And then there's the whole business of growing up. But Sydney doesn't want to grow up--not if it means getting taller than her mom.
This book came into the library where I work as a new item. I was intrigued by the combination of the title and the cover illustration, so I turned it over and read the blurb. It sounded like a suitable title for my Chatterbooks group, so I decided to check it out.
Amber has found a very realistic voice for Sydney, and many young readers will identify with her, even if they don't have tiny mums! A very enjoyable read, I was even moved to tears at one point.
When I was growing up, most books aimed at young female readers, seemed to only feature girls with perfect figures and the boys that fought over them. I had unrealistic expectations of the world because of these books, and would have loved to have read something realistic, that addressed the real problems, that real people have. ‘We Are Giants’ tackles the subject of physical disability, but explores many of the difficulties we all face as we come of age.
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The book follows the lives of Sydney, her sister Jade and their mother Amy who has dwarfism. Jade and Sydney’s father (who was also a dwarf) has sadly passed away. Amy (Jade and Sydney’s mother) announces they will have to leave their home and everything that they have known; they can no longer afford to run their furniture shop or pay the rent. They move to live near their grandmother in Portsmouth. What follows is a thoroughly realistic and intrinsic examination of family life, living with dwarfism and adapting to change, especially when grieving.
Although Amy (Sydney and Jades mother) has dwarfism, this is not the topic that dominates the book. ‘We Are Giant’s’ is a refreshingly honest and thought-provoking portrayal of family life. Author Amber Lee Dodd has created a vibrant set of characters to whom we can all relate; the rebellious teenagers, the single mother trying to balance work and children, the grandmother who just wants what is best for her daughter but isn’t very good at expressing it.
Although a children’s book ‘We Are Giants’ has something for everyone. Adult readers may identify with the struggles that raising a family can bring, and a younger audience will see parallels with the two daughters, their emotions and many of the situations they face.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to readers of all ages and abilities. The author has taken what could have been quite heavy subject matter and made it charming and engaging if not a little emotional at times. No matter what you look like or what specific issues you face, when you take a closer look we are all more a like then you might first think.
How hard it is to adapt to change when you are growing up. The hardship that can come from having a relative – the character’s mum in this case – with a physical disability like dwarfism. I couldn’t wait to read this book as I think physical disabilities is one of those things that is rare to read about in fiction. Sydney is a wonderful character with a stunning imagination. Her thoughts felt very grown up considering she was only nine/ten years old.
We Are Giants is a gem of a first novel about relationships, family relations, growing up and making friends. It's suitable for boys and girls, Year 4 - 6. Although the narrator is a Year 5 girl (including grammatical mistakes such as 'Me and Jade...' - annoying for me as an English teacher), there is a boy main character in the novel - overweight and an obvious outcast, yet he displays the qualities of a true friend. Dealing with difference (mother is a dwarf) is a major theme, yet it's shown not told, and minor characters in the novel are allowed to grow and change, becoming far more tolerant after a major incident (fire) shows Sydney's mum to be a hero with a huge ability to forgive. I loved the way Sydney tries to shrink herself because she thinks her mother's height is perfect, and I loved the great adult role models and their quirkiness. Some very rounded characters in this novel including a really gutsy mother dealing with the loss of a husband and business and two very different daughters, each facing their own difficulties! Some hilarious scenes, such as walking her girls to school after Jade smashes the car window. Love her! Although the title of this novel is an obvious reference to the biographical 'In Our Hearts We Were Giants: The Remarkable Story of the Lilliput Troupe, a Dwarf Family's Survival of the Holocaust', there's only one reference to the Lilliput troupe - in a WWII project Sydney does with a partner at school.
There is so much is in this story. It’s about family, grief, growing up, friendship, dealing with bullies, add a little romance and having believing in dreams that seem impossible and maybe we’ve got everything covered.
The very short review of We Are Giants is that it’s wonderful and you should definitely go and read it.
But I’m guessing you’d like slightly more, so – where do I begin? As said, there is so much in this book that I’m amazed it didn’t feel crowed but Amber Lee Dodd has crafted the story together beautifully.
At its heart We Are Giants is about Sydney, her mum and Jade (Sydney’s older sister) dealing with having to move to a new town and fit in. Sydney misses her father, her friends, the shop they used to have and the relationship she had with her sister.
We Are Giants is one of those books that I didn’t know I needed in my life until I owned it, but now that I do it had pride of place. I hope many readers find this treasure.
This is a middle grade story about a ton of things, it's about family, it's about girl power, about losing loved ones, about change, about being special, about bullying, about growing up and probably a ton more things if you sit down to list them all. Really if you've ever been young, or are right now, there will be a situation in this book that you recognise.
I wasn't so sure at the start of this. Maybe because I've been consuming and wanting a lot of fantasy/magical realism lately and this is very realistic. But as it went on, the pace picked up and it got better and better.
It was a very quick read and I really liked all the characters and that nobody was perfect, but in the end everyone loved each other. I really hope this does well and I really hope it opens a few eyes on what it's like to be different from the mainstream (like being a lot smaller than average).
I'm afraid I couldn't get into this book at all, it was quite a strange one to be honest and as much as I tried to enjoy it I found it quite tiresome. The characters were very 2 dimensional and I didn't really connect with any of them and found the plot quite boring which was a shame as I thought I was really going to like this book. feel bad leaving a negative review but I have to be honest and it just wasn't my cup of tea but I'm sure there are lots of readers it will appeal to. Sorry. I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and open review.
This is a sweet, warm, funny story about friendship, family and how to grow up without leaving your parents behind. I loved its presentation of disability (Mum has dwarfism, and that's central to the story in a way that feels very normal and real), and I think that this is a lovely debut. (8+)
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
If you're low. If world events are getting you down. If you or your 8+ year old want the comfort of kind hearted, well observed, middle grade fiction. If you want a real world setting where children, parents, a grand parent, neighbours and friends encounter and over come life challenges together. Well.... If you ticked any or all of the above, well then We Are Giants might just be for you. It was definitely the book for me. Thanks Amber. Heartily recommend this!
I have dwarfism and the dwarfism theme in this lovely childrens book couldn't have been handled better. If only all books were this sensitive! I enjoyed the story and characters in other respects as well despite the fact I'm about three centuries older than the target audience. :p
I was disappointed with this book. The blurb drew me in and I thought the premise sounded great. But the plot didn't seem to go anywhere. It was extremely predictable, and seemed to me like a poorly executed Jacqueline Wilson attempt. If the parents hadn't been 'little people' then the story would have absolutely no depth. It was also very unclear whether the daughters were little at the start. I realised Jade was not relatively quickly, but I actually thought Sydney was little until the last chapter. I pictured her as such all the way through and then was thrown off at the end. I know she did shrinking exercises and wanted to be like her father, but it was written in such a way that she did this because she wanted to stay a little person like him and she thought she would grow up and become an average height, like her sister. It was very obvious that at the end Sydney would accept who she was and Jade would realise the error of her ways and they would come to terms with the passing of their father. There were no twists and turns, even the fire was a poor and predictable attempt at some drama. My overall opinion is that there were very little redeeming parts of this book. All of the characters were lacking and two dimensional. The plot was tawdry and predictable. It just seemed like a cheap Jacqueline Wilson imitation to me. The reason it has two stars and not one is the writing style is not bad and I did not give up on the book, and although I feel it was not dealt with interestingly, the 'little people' theme was dealt with properly and sensitively.
This is such a sweet, charming little book. It deals with topics that would be familiar to a lot of 9-12 year olds - such as moving home/school, older teenage siblings becoming difficult, and trying to hang onto childhood memories - but from a viewpoint that at first seems very different. Sydney's mum has dwarfism, and everyone near their London home knows her. But when the family have to move to Portsmouth, how will they cope with coming to a new place that seems ever so BIG?
All of the characters are wonderful and realistic - Sydney just wants to stay little so she doesn't get taller than her mum, her older sister Jade seems to be growing up ever so quickly, and her mum just wants to do what's best for them, even if it means uprooting and moving to a new city. It is refreshing and heartwarming, without being too sickly - well worth a read!
I absolutely adore We are Giants. I love how it addresses dwarfism, family problems, bereavement and social issues like the recession; it was really relevant and eloquently written. Something I feel has not been written about in children's fiction, and I really feel that more authors need to address these issues so that children understand the real world.. It is written in such a cleaver way that these issues are written with great thought and consideration. The writer is fantastic at developing her characters, the descriptions are so vivid that you have a clear image in your head and you can't help but be engaged with each of them. The book leaves you feeling completely gripped at all times and evokes a mixture of emotions, which include both laughter and tears. Cannot rate this book enough, I thoroughly enjoyed it and anticipate the next book from this author.
A throwback to my childhood years spent reading Jacqueline Wilson, written to the same wonderful standard and directly tapping into the mind of almost every young girl. I've never encountered a book of any age range with dwarfism as a focal point, so this one was a must-read. Lovely, sweet and empowering.
It seems that many others have enjoyed this book, according to reviews, however I struggled to like it. Most of the time the narration felt uncomfortably adult rather than that of an eight/nine year old girl and that was a bit off-putting. For me, it lacked conviction on any level. Can't recommend this, sorry.
After really enjoying Amber Lee Dodd`s second book Lightning Chase Me Home this year, I figured I should probably give her debut a go, and I`m so glad I did. It`s the story of a girl named Sydney and what happens when she, her sister Jade and their mum Amy (who has dwarfism) move to Portsmouth to start a new life. I loved Sydney so much- she feels like her family is falling apart and is trying to stop things changing too much, and I wanted to jump in and give her a hug at so many points, which is also true for Jade and Amy, and quite a few of the supporting characters as well. Something I else I really loved about this was its portrayal of disability- while dwarfism is not my disability and I can`t comment on the accuracy of that, I felt like this really got how nuanced the experience of having a disability is in general and how many different experiences and emotions come with it. I also just really liked the overall feel to this; even though it touches on several important themes there`s something so warm and comforting about it. This may have been quite a quick read for me, but it`ll stay with me for quite a while and I loved spending time with these characters. 4.5/5
I absolutely adore We are Giants. I love how it addresses dwarfism, family problems, bereavement and social issues like the recession; it was really relevant and eloquently written. Something I feel has not been written about in children's fiction, and I really feel that more authors need to address these issues so that children understand the real world.. It is written in such a cleaver way that these issues are written with great thought and consideration. The writer is fantastic at developing her characters, the descriptions are so vivid that you have a clear image in your head and you can't help but be engaged with each of them. The book leaves you feeling completely gripped at all times and evokes a mixture of emotions, which include both laughter and tears. Cannot rate this book enough, I thoroughly enjoyed it and anticipate the next book from this author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the idea that the author has based it on is heartfelt and touching.
When Sydney, a ten year old girl who's mum has dwarfism, is forced to leave her life and everyone she knows behind her only to move to Portsmouth with her flawless Grandmother, she believes things can't possibly get worse. However moving to a new school reveals unexpected problems: 1)Mean girls 2)Her sister who seems to be detached and hiding secrets 3)Growing: Since moving is she really losing all her memories of her father?
This was a quick and easy book to read but I have given it only four stars as by the end of the book there were some unanswered questions and some characters were difficult to understand.
A really strong story. I loved the fact it features a diverse family. I feel jacqueline Wilson fans will really like this as it reminds me of her style. I did wish it was a bit more informative about dwarfism as I wanted to know more but this book was not about that. It is about a normal family who are learning to cope with a massive upheaval in their lives as well as come to terms with their own losses. It does this very well. I felt every character was very distinct and I did care what happened to these characters. This is the authors first book. I feel she did a really good job. I'd love to see her write about more diverse families as her characters are so rich and enjoyable.
Why can’t things just stay the way they are? What do you do when things change? In nine-year-old Sydney’s world, changes are coming thick and fast. Her mum has to give up her work and moves the family to a new town, Sydney’s big sister, Jade, is starting to behave weirdly and then there’s the new school. But Sydney has a plan to make everything the way it used to be… This is a lovely story about change and when it’s time to let go. Warm and funny with just enough peril to keep you hooked reading. It’s a thoughtful and reassuring book about family, friendship and what’s really important in life.
For such a short book this manages to pack a lot in - family, grief, growing up, dealing with changes and fitting in/making friends - but somehow it doesn't seem crowded. Sydney's voice felt authentic (to me - who has no children and clearly hasn't been a child for a long time!) and I even teared up at one point. Jade's teenage rebellion felt a bit cliché but still realistic. Some reviewers have called it boring, and I can see how it might be for adults, but we're not the actual target audience! I think it's a great little book for children who are worried about growing up or are struggling to cope with changes.
We Are Giants is a Giant of a first novel. Not because it is long, but because of the emotional depth that had been poured into the heart of this story of family.
Sydney's journey is one we can all empathise with. Not just the loss of a loved one, but the reality of growing up and that there is always hope. With hope comes acceptance. I very much recommend this book. The writing is brilliant.
Lovely book. Fresh and lively style for what are deep and important themes of grief, identity and dealing with change. The book does not talk down to its readers. It effortlessly combines tackling significant issues with wit, suspense and lovable characters. This original mix makes for genuine crossover appeal. It's a book that both middle years children and their parents would enjoy. I know that I really loved reading it. The phrase, made me laugh and cry, is accurate.
Enjoyed this, a different perspective on diversity of characters as Sydney wants to be a 'dwarf' like her mother but she is growing and is now bigger than her Mum. Sydney is also dealing with lots of other things such as grief over the death of her father (also a dwarf), having to move, her older sister Jade being a grumpy teenager and her Mum making new friends (male!).