What do you think?
Rate this book
Hopewell High: All Too Much
Samira wants to do well, her parents want her to do well, her teachers want her to do well, but the pressure is starting to tell. Can her friends rescue her when it all gets too much?
Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, All Too Much is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+).
Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.
Book band: Grey
Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, All Too Much is aimed at readers aged 12+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+).
Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.
Book band: Grey
ebook
Published April 6, 2017
4 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Jo Cotterill
65 books75 followersJo Cotterill has had several careers - actor, musician, teacher, newspaper seller - but is now a full-time writer in Oxfordshire. She loves writing for all ages and has published over twenty books. A Library of Lemons is a book from the heart about making connections and what it really means to be human. Jo loves going into schools and talking about books and reading, and can be found making cards and writing music when she's not spending time with her husband and two young daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 29, 2019
*** self-harm and islamophobic***
I get why this exists but it fell flat and offended everyone not one i would recommend
I get why this exists but it fell flat and offended everyone not one i would recommend
March 18, 2024
Samira går på Källbacka internatskola. Hennes föräldrar har skickat hit henne för att utbilda sig, och hon är smart samtidigt som hon lägger mycket tid på att plugga. Samira har ibland svårt att förstås sina vänner Daisy, Alice och Hani som inte verkar förstå hur viktigt det är med en bra utbildning, särskilt Daisy.
När Samira blir uttagen till skolans quizlag så är hennes pappa så stolt över henne. Den ansvariga läraren, Patric, säger att det är meningen att det ska vara kul, men Samira står inte ut med tanken på att laget ska förlora bara för att hon inte kan så hon börjar plugga ännu mer än innan. Hon kan bara inte svika sina lagkompisar och sin pappa.
Men vilket pris är rimligt att betala för att inte svika andras förväntningar eller sina egna högt ställda krav på att lyckas?
När Samira blir uttagen till skolans quizlag så är hennes pappa så stolt över henne. Den ansvariga läraren, Patric, säger att det är meningen att det ska vara kul, men Samira står inte ut med tanken på att laget ska förlora bara för att hon inte kan så hon börjar plugga ännu mer än innan. Hon kan bara inte svika sina lagkompisar och sin pappa.
Men vilket pris är rimligt att betala för att inte svika andras förväntningar eller sina egna högt ställda krav på att lyckas?
July 22, 2019
Samira, Hani, Daisy and Alice are all at boarding school together where they each face difficult issues.
As the pressure to do well piles on Samira's shoulders she starts to become unwell as she begins to harm herself by self harming.
When Daisy doesn't understand and reacts badly to Samira, just what will the girls do and as Daisy herself chats to boys online, is she truly safe?
A little book that packs a punch about issues facing young people all the time as self harm and internet chatting are two big topics effecting teens.
As the pressure to do well piles on Samira's shoulders she starts to become unwell as she begins to harm herself by self harming.
When Daisy doesn't understand and reacts badly to Samira, just what will the girls do and as Daisy herself chats to boys online, is she truly safe?
A little book that packs a punch about issues facing young people all the time as self harm and internet chatting are two big topics effecting teens.
qr
August 10, 2019Triggers: Self-harm
Samira is feeling under pressure at school. Born in Iran, Samira was sent to boarding school in England by her father, who rings the school constantly to check on her grades. When Samira joins the school quiz team, she begins to crack under the pressure. What do you do when it’s all too much?
Strengths
The story deals with a variety of themes, including pressure in school, demanding parents, stress and depression, online dating, self-harm and friendship. These are themes that readers will be able to relate to, which enables them to empathise and become invested in the characters.
This book features a diverse cast of characters. Samira was born in Iran and is Muslim, wearing a hijab. Another character in the book is from Thailand and another is Ethiopian. This diversity is represented in the illustrations.
Weaknesses
I am confused about who this book is aimed at. The story deals with heavy themes and includes self-harm, yet it is written and presented like a young readers chapter book (text centered on the page, illustrations throughout, information and questions in the back). The difference between the content of the story and the format of the book is jarring. Other reader reviews also highlight this as confusing and reduced their enjoyment of the book.
Additionally, the blurb makes no mention of the inclusion of self-harm in the story. I was not expecting to encounter self-harm in the book and I think that it really should be mentioned somewhere so that readers can be prepared.
Because the story covered so many serious themes, each theme could not be explored in depth. I feel that self-harm was presented only on a surface level and the story did not adequately demonstrate the severity of the situation or the emotional difficulties associated with it.
Summary
Overall, this book presented an interesting story about friendship, stress and self-harm, although those topics could have been better developed and explored. It is difficult to figure out what age this book is aimed at. I would not be comfortable giving this book to children aged 7-10, but the format is too young for older children.
Samira is feeling under pressure at school. Born in Iran, Samira was sent to boarding school in England by her father, who rings the school constantly to check on her grades. When Samira joins the school quiz team, she begins to crack under the pressure. What do you do when it’s all too much?
Strengths
The story deals with a variety of themes, including pressure in school, demanding parents, stress and depression, online dating, self-harm and friendship. These are themes that readers will be able to relate to, which enables them to empathise and become invested in the characters.
This book features a diverse cast of characters. Samira was born in Iran and is Muslim, wearing a hijab. Another character in the book is from Thailand and another is Ethiopian. This diversity is represented in the illustrations.
Weaknesses
I am confused about who this book is aimed at. The story deals with heavy themes and includes self-harm, yet it is written and presented like a young readers chapter book (text centered on the page, illustrations throughout, information and questions in the back). The difference between the content of the story and the format of the book is jarring. Other reader reviews also highlight this as confusing and reduced their enjoyment of the book.
Additionally, the blurb makes no mention of the inclusion of self-harm in the story. I was not expecting to encounter self-harm in the book and I think that it really should be mentioned somewhere so that readers can be prepared.
Because the story covered so many serious themes, each theme could not be explored in depth. I feel that self-harm was presented only on a surface level and the story did not adequately demonstrate the severity of the situation or the emotional difficulties associated with it.
Summary
Overall, this book presented an interesting story about friendship, stress and self-harm, although those topics could have been better developed and explored. It is difficult to figure out what age this book is aimed at. I would not be comfortable giving this book to children aged 7-10, but the format is too young for older children.
June 25, 2017
****Self Harm trigger warning****
Though I understand this book is meant to be easy to understand it reminded me of the 10 paged books you read at school when learning to read. The only difference is that this book deals with a serious topic - self harm. It does so in such an unhealthy way - it portrays it as something easily stopped and doesn't emphasise the severity of the issue. If I could give it a 0 star I would.
Though I understand this book is meant to be easy to understand it reminded me of the 10 paged books you read at school when learning to read. The only difference is that this book deals with a serious topic - self harm. It does so in such an unhealthy way - it portrays it as something easily stopped and doesn't emphasise the severity of the issue. If I could give it a 0 star I would.
December 23, 2020
Does this count as part of my book count for the year? It's too small. It's smaller than a novella. Why do people wrote these very basic, easy chapter books that seem to be for early readers, but then they have harsh toics in them? There will be a target demographic
April 20, 2024
Quite dark but also holesome?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews