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The Good Turn
Josephine Williams is definitely a leader - and her teachers know it! What other eleven-year-old is desperate for MORE schoolwork? Looking for more challenging tasks, Josie enlists her friends Wesley and Margot into her very own Scout troop, the Copseys, named after the street they all live on. Together they start their quest for their camping badge by sleeping out near to the abandoned factory behind their houses. But that night they stumble across something strange. Someone seems to be living in the derelict building! The Copseys have to solve the mystery...and perhaps earn their bravery and activism badges along the way... Perfect for readers who love Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine, and full of fast-paced adventure, brilliant characters and snappy dialogue with themes of real-life activism and how to help others.
381 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2022
20 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Sharna Jackson
24 books74 followersSharna Jackson is a best-selling author and curator who specialises in developing and delivering socially-engaged initiatives for children and young people across culture, publishing and entertainment.
Her debut novel High-Rise Mystery (2019) won numerous awards and accolades including Best Book for Younger Readers at the 2020 Waterstones Book Prize and Sunday Times Book of the Week. The sequel, Mic Drop, was released in 2020. Sharna also develops books to encourage participation in the arts, with two activity books released with Tate in 2014 (which won the FILAF award for Best Children’s Art Book in 2015) and Black Artists Shaping the World in 2021. She was Southbank Centre’s Imagine A Story Author in 2019/20 creating London/Londoff with over 1200 school children in the capital.
She was recently the Artistic Director at Site Gallery, an international contemporary art space in Sheffield, UK, and was formerly the editor of the triple BAFTA-nominated Tate Kids website.
Sharna was a member of BAFTA’s Children’s and Learning and New Talent committees and the Children’s Media Conference advisory board. She was also on the board of Sheffield Doc/Fest, New Writing North and Upswing. Every year she curates Playground – an exhibition showcasing work that blends digital play with physical objects and Ensemble – a show highlighting ethnic minority talent and achievement in the UK games industry.
Her debut novel High-Rise Mystery (2019) won numerous awards and accolades including Best Book for Younger Readers at the 2020 Waterstones Book Prize and Sunday Times Book of the Week. The sequel, Mic Drop, was released in 2020. Sharna also develops books to encourage participation in the arts, with two activity books released with Tate in 2014 (which won the FILAF award for Best Children’s Art Book in 2015) and Black Artists Shaping the World in 2021. She was Southbank Centre’s Imagine A Story Author in 2019/20 creating London/Londoff with over 1200 school children in the capital.
She was recently the Artistic Director at Site Gallery, an international contemporary art space in Sheffield, UK, and was formerly the editor of the triple BAFTA-nominated Tate Kids website.
Sharna was a member of BAFTA’s Children’s and Learning and New Talent committees and the Children’s Media Conference advisory board. She was also on the board of Sheffield Doc/Fest, New Writing North and Upswing. Every year she curates Playground – an exhibition showcasing work that blends digital play with physical objects and Ensemble – a show highlighting ethnic minority talent and achievement in the UK games industry.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 1, 2022
A striking book. I found the main character not as charming as characters in High Rise Mystery and the scene in the headmistress' office was a little unlikely, but the racism and appalling treatment of victims of the Windrush Scandal is all too realistic and stark, so I'm willing to overlook a bit of dramatic licence. This should be on the shelves of every school library and I will make sure ours has a copy.
May 11, 2022
Three Y6 pupils who live near each other
Have adventures and dreams as you're about to discover.
Josephine Williams is a leader by nature so
Encourages the others to give things a do.
Wesley is the boy of this team,
He has so much more to do than it first would seem.
Margot is the latest to move nearby
An into this duo she's wanting to try.
Wesley is wary, doesn't trust Margot a bit
Her jokes aren't great and make an uncomfortable fit.
Josephine meanwhile has her own dreams to share
After learning of Josephine Holloway she's sure she dare.
As these three set themselves up with challenges to face
The story begins to pick up its pace.
The key to this story really isn't the mystery
It is more about racism, relationships, communities and history.
Disappointed after reading the blurb first, I found it an ok read
With a lead character determined to succeed.
There are many issues included as a part
With family dramas, expectations and community at its heart.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
And, fairly obviously, this is my honest review.
Have adventures and dreams as you're about to discover.
Josephine Williams is a leader by nature so
Encourages the others to give things a do.
Wesley is the boy of this team,
He has so much more to do than it first would seem.
Margot is the latest to move nearby
An into this duo she's wanting to try.
Wesley is wary, doesn't trust Margot a bit
Her jokes aren't great and make an uncomfortable fit.
Josephine meanwhile has her own dreams to share
After learning of Josephine Holloway she's sure she dare.
As these three set themselves up with challenges to face
The story begins to pick up its pace.
The key to this story really isn't the mystery
It is more about racism, relationships, communities and history.
Disappointed after reading the blurb first, I found it an ok read
With a lead character determined to succeed.
There are many issues included as a part
With family dramas, expectations and community at its heart.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
And, fairly obviously, this is my honest review.
August 5, 2022
Another new-to-me author from the UK with a fun middle-grade read I will be recommending to students at my school library. This book has humor, friendship, mystery, thrills, clever chapter headings with a nod to Girl Scout badges, and deals with social injustices in a way that is entirely appropriate for the age group.
Thanks to NetGalley UK for an e-galley of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley UK for an e-galley of this book.
June 1, 2022
I loved it. It reminded me of Brownies and earning your badges. Despite making a few wrong choices, they come good in the end. A lovely story that sheds light on the Windrush Scandal. Definitely worth a read of you are 9 or older.
April 24, 2022
I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
I think the main reason I was disappointed with this book was the gap between my expectations and what I read. I was expecting a book that was much more of a mystery than I got, more in line with her previous books and the blurb, Instead, this felt much more like a contemporary about friendship and the injustice of the past.
The "mystery" of the people in the factory is solved as soon as they find the picture, which is about halfway through. The lead up to it is also very subtle/underplayed, more about Josie's desire to get her club going than anticipation and speculation over the light in the abandoned factory. It doesn't give the "mystery" element any sort of driving momentum, given it takes so long to get to the hook of the blurb and never feels like a major part of the book.
Once the "mystery" is solved, the book then focused on the children's good intentions as they get to know the couple, and the injustice of their lives and what happens next. Plus the tensions between the children over Josie's determined "organising" spills over, along with her feelings about the new baby brother who's soon to arrive. It does really give the book a contemporary feel, focusing more on the kids as a friendship group with difficulties (just added a new member) and the difficulties of their private lives.
I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had been expecting that, rather than a mystery. Then I might have been more engaged with the kids because I wasn't desperately on the look out for clues and motivation and red herrings.
I think the main reason I was disappointed with this book was the gap between my expectations and what I read. I was expecting a book that was much more of a mystery than I got, more in line with her previous books and the blurb, Instead, this felt much more like a contemporary about friendship and the injustice of the past.
The "mystery" of the people in the factory is solved as soon as they find the picture, which is about halfway through. The lead up to it is also very subtle/underplayed, more about Josie's desire to get her club going than anticipation and speculation over the light in the abandoned factory. It doesn't give the "mystery" element any sort of driving momentum, given it takes so long to get to the hook of the blurb and never feels like a major part of the book.
Once the "mystery" is solved, the book then focused on the children's good intentions as they get to know the couple, and the injustice of their lives and what happens next. Plus the tensions between the children over Josie's determined "organising" spills over, along with her feelings about the new baby brother who's soon to arrive. It does really give the book a contemporary feel, focusing more on the kids as a friendship group with difficulties (just added a new member) and the difficulties of their private lives.
I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had been expecting that, rather than a mystery. Then I might have been more engaged with the kids because I wasn't desperately on the look out for clues and motivation and red herrings.
April 29, 2022
Three children, inspired by the woman who set up the first Girl Scouts group for black children, decide to form a similar group to earn badges. They meet an elderly black couple living in an abandoned factory and decide to make them their main project.
The story is inspired by the Windrush scandal. Although this is a good way to introduce children to this element of history, the story doesn’t really end; it just fizzles out, hence the three stars.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is inspired by the Windrush scandal. Although this is a good way to introduce children to this element of history, the story doesn’t really end; it just fizzles out, hence the three stars.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2022
This was really enjoyable, it was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters. there was a good level of mystery and twists in this to keep children engaged without being frustrated. A really good read
July 17, 2022
First of all - thank you so much to Sharna for sending me a signed paperback advance copy of this book! I first got to know her through BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James' "Pass The Pen" takeover she did of his Twitter account a few years back, and when I saw she was gearing up to release a book, I sent her an Instgram message, saying "maybe I'll try and get an ARC of this!". But, she offered to send me a paperback. I've never read any of her books before, so I was super excited to give it a go. And, after exams and life generally getting in the way, I devoured the majority of this book in just a few days.
The Good Turn is a book set in present-day England, and follows three Year 6 students, narrated by protagonist Josie. She's inspired by Josephine Holloway, who formed the first group of Girl Scouts for Black children, and decides to set up a group of her own with her neighbours Margot and Wesley - the Copseys.
This book's narrative, character development, rooting in historical context and picture-painting is absolutely fantastic, and I think it's a must read for any older primary school pupil and above. I loved Margot and Wesley's friendship development in particular, as well as how Wesley calls out Jo's focus on herself, and her self-realisation. The book kept me guessing, too - even when I thought the end was looking bleak, a sort of semi-resolution was formed, and I think that was the perfect way to tie up the book.
I mentioned how the book is rooted in context - after the book has finished, there's a short author's note, where Sharna explains how the book's events reflect the harsh reality of deportation and the Windrush Generation. It's so essential that we're aware of these issues of our past, and children may not have been taught about them in schools. This book taught me the stark reality of immigrants living in the UK, and how their worlds can be turned upside down without warning.
I truly believe that The Good Turn is an essential read for any child old enough, and people of my age and older are still be able to enjoy it. Sharna tackles real-world issues beautifully within a thrilling and informative book. I can't wait to read more of Sharna's work.
The Good Turn is a book set in present-day England, and follows three Year 6 students, narrated by protagonist Josie. She's inspired by Josephine Holloway, who formed the first group of Girl Scouts for Black children, and decides to set up a group of her own with her neighbours Margot and Wesley - the Copseys.
This book's narrative, character development, rooting in historical context and picture-painting is absolutely fantastic, and I think it's a must read for any older primary school pupil and above. I loved Margot and Wesley's friendship development in particular, as well as how Wesley calls out Jo's focus on herself, and her self-realisation. The book kept me guessing, too - even when I thought the end was looking bleak, a sort of semi-resolution was formed, and I think that was the perfect way to tie up the book.
I mentioned how the book is rooted in context - after the book has finished, there's a short author's note, where Sharna explains how the book's events reflect the harsh reality of deportation and the Windrush Generation. It's so essential that we're aware of these issues of our past, and children may not have been taught about them in schools. This book taught me the stark reality of immigrants living in the UK, and how their worlds can be turned upside down without warning.
I truly believe that The Good Turn is an essential read for any child old enough, and people of my age and older are still be able to enjoy it. Sharna tackles real-world issues beautifully within a thrilling and informative book. I can't wait to read more of Sharna's work.
March 30, 2022
S.J. is on the money with this 5 STAR sassy, fun, teeth-kissing new adventure about the perils and pluses of trying to do good! A must-read for fans of her High Rise Mystery series and for readers wanting a story of this age, socially relevant, thought-provoking and engaging.
The story focuses on three schoolmates Josephine, in whose voice the story is told, and Wesley and Margot. They all live in Copsey Close, in Luton, and are in the same class at school. The triangle they form with their families creates the dynamic backdrop to each of the lives of the three and this tale.
Josephine is a go-getter, a leader and eager to do better for herself and drag her classmates, willingly or otherwise, with her. Wesley has responsibilities and worries at home way beyond his paygrade. Margot, the newcomer, who to Wesley is a spy and interloper intent on snatching away his friendship with Josephine, is eager to please and wants to be friends with both the others. The trouble is Margot is a bit tactless with her humour. They each have many things to work on and also crosses to bear, real or imaginary.
When Josephine suggests they start their own local version of the Guides and Scouts, called the Copseys, a group to help others, community action. Also, something that will look good on a CV. She gets the others on board, albeit Wesley somewhat reluctantly. Each has a role to play, with Josephine as the leader. They start by litter-picking an old man's garden. With each activity, they will earn a badge. Positive results arise and they earn some money. Now, this would all be a bit mundane if not for the mysterious appearance one night of lights in a nearby abandoned and derelict factory.
From that point on, as they investigate and also try to earn badges for their activities, and tensions mount at home, things start to spiral desperately out of control for the Copseys.
There is so much to this adventure, it is hard for me to take just one aspect and say that it stood out. On that basis, I think this is going to be a readers, classroom and parents' favourite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story focuses on three schoolmates Josephine, in whose voice the story is told, and Wesley and Margot. They all live in Copsey Close, in Luton, and are in the same class at school. The triangle they form with their families creates the dynamic backdrop to each of the lives of the three and this tale.
Josephine is a go-getter, a leader and eager to do better for herself and drag her classmates, willingly or otherwise, with her. Wesley has responsibilities and worries at home way beyond his paygrade. Margot, the newcomer, who to Wesley is a spy and interloper intent on snatching away his friendship with Josephine, is eager to please and wants to be friends with both the others. The trouble is Margot is a bit tactless with her humour. They each have many things to work on and also crosses to bear, real or imaginary.
When Josephine suggests they start their own local version of the Guides and Scouts, called the Copseys, a group to help others, community action. Also, something that will look good on a CV. She gets the others on board, albeit Wesley somewhat reluctantly. Each has a role to play, with Josephine as the leader. They start by litter-picking an old man's garden. With each activity, they will earn a badge. Positive results arise and they earn some money. Now, this would all be a bit mundane if not for the mysterious appearance one night of lights in a nearby abandoned and derelict factory.
From that point on, as they investigate and also try to earn badges for their activities, and tensions mount at home, things start to spiral desperately out of control for the Copseys.
There is so much to this adventure, it is hard for me to take just one aspect and say that it stood out. On that basis, I think this is going to be a readers, classroom and parents' favourite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 16, 2022
Josie wants more, more of everything, learning, adventure but she's got a little brother about to be born and all she's hearing at home is conversations abut prams and baby names. Apparently names have meanings, Jodie discovers and then does some more digging about famous Josephine's. Suddenly there on the screen is another Josephine - Josephine Amanda Groves Holloway who founded the first Black Girl Scouts troop in Tennessee in the 1920's. Here was someone worth learning about. Josie shares the ideas with Wesley & Margot, friends who live in the same little close as her, are in her class at school, and The Copsey's are born. Copsey Close is in Luton, and the Close backs on to a wilderness, otherwise known as the Outback, and a large derelict factory, Chicane Cars, where Wesley's grandfather used to work.
So begins a series of adventures, small ones at first but then after seeing lights on in the empty factory building Josie wants to explore a bit more and everything becomes a lot more serious.
The characters are well defined, you could almost smell the inside of Wesley's house and the cacophony of noise, compared to Margot's house where it's just her and her dad. Josie is brilliant, sassy, confident, most of the time, and is big enough to apologise when she has to. I hope there are more adventures for The Copsey's.
I loved this story, I hadn't read the reviews so wasn't expecting the narrative to go in the direction it did, but I did need tissues at the end. It's going to be one of those books that should be in every school library.
So begins a series of adventures, small ones at first but then after seeing lights on in the empty factory building Josie wants to explore a bit more and everything becomes a lot more serious.
The characters are well defined, you could almost smell the inside of Wesley's house and the cacophony of noise, compared to Margot's house where it's just her and her dad. Josie is brilliant, sassy, confident, most of the time, and is big enough to apologise when she has to. I hope there are more adventures for The Copsey's.
I loved this story, I hadn't read the reviews so wasn't expecting the narrative to go in the direction it did, but I did need tissues at the end. It's going to be one of those books that should be in every school library.
October 20, 2024
Josie wants more, more of everything, learning, adventure but she's got a little brother about to be born and all she's hearing at home is conversations abut prams and baby names. Apparently names have meanings, Jodie discovers and then does some more digging about famous Josephine's. Suddenly there on the screen is another Josephine - Josephine Amanda Groves Holloway who founded the first Black Girl Scouts troop in Tennessee in the 1920's. Here was someone worth learning about. Josie shares the ideas with Wesley & Margot, friends who live in the same little close as her, are in her class at school, and The Copsey's are born. Copsey Close is in Luton, and the Close backs on to a wilderness, otherwise known as the Outback, and a large derelict factory, Chicane Cars, where Wesley's grandfather used to work.
So begins a series of adventures, small ones at first but then after seeing lights on in the empty factory building Josie wants to explore a bit more and everything becomes a lot more serious.
The characters are well defined, you could almost smell the inside of Wesley's house and the cacophony of noise, compared to Margot's house where it's just her and her dad. Josie is brilliant, sassy, confident, most of the time, and is big enough to apologise when she has to. I hope there are more adventures for The Copsey's.
I loved this story, I hadn't read the reviews so wasn't expecting the narrative to go in the direction it did, but I did need tissues at the end. It's going to be one of those books that should be in every school library.
So begins a series of adventures, small ones at first but then after seeing lights on in the empty factory building Josie wants to explore a bit more and everything becomes a lot more serious.
The characters are well defined, you could almost smell the inside of Wesley's house and the cacophony of noise, compared to Margot's house where it's just her and her dad. Josie is brilliant, sassy, confident, most of the time, and is big enough to apologise when she has to. I hope there are more adventures for The Copsey's.
I loved this story, I hadn't read the reviews so wasn't expecting the narrative to go in the direction it did, but I did need tissues at the end. It's going to be one of those books that should be in every school library.
September 6, 2022
4.5. This is such an incredibly important story. Talking about Windrush is so essential, so the fact that young kids can learn about it through this book if their school or caregivers aren’t going to teach it is SO significant.
As well as being important, this was just such a great read. The sneaking-about and mystery-solving aspects combined with getting badges was really captivating and set a great mood. In terms of formatting, I LOVED that there was a map of the neighbourhood included and that the chapter titles were the names of the badges the Copseys were earning in that chapter, accompanied with the design of the badge. Also, the acknowledgements were structured like Jackson was giving out badges which I thought was such a nice detail.
I think the one thing that I struggled with is that I thought the selfishness character development in Josie was a little underbaked. Regarding the selfishness with her brother, I thought that Josie was reacting perfectly normally and felt bad that her parents weren’t trying to comfort and understand her before helping her move past her jealously. I definitely got the selfishness in relation to the Copseys (the whole “helping others for the right reasons” theme), but I wish this had been developed further. However, this barely impacted on my reading experience as you can tell from my rating! I would 100% recommend this book.
As well as being important, this was just such a great read. The sneaking-about and mystery-solving aspects combined with getting badges was really captivating and set a great mood. In terms of formatting, I LOVED that there was a map of the neighbourhood included and that the chapter titles were the names of the badges the Copseys were earning in that chapter, accompanied with the design of the badge. Also, the acknowledgements were structured like Jackson was giving out badges which I thought was such a nice detail.
I think the one thing that I struggled with is that I thought the selfishness character development in Josie was a little underbaked. Regarding the selfishness with her brother, I thought that Josie was reacting perfectly normally and felt bad that her parents weren’t trying to comfort and understand her before helping her move past her jealously. I definitely got the selfishness in relation to the Copseys (the whole “helping others for the right reasons” theme), but I wish this had been developed further. However, this barely impacted on my reading experience as you can tell from my rating! I would 100% recommend this book.
June 11, 2022
🔦
Even though there are a lot of differences, I felt like this book is a new version of the Famous Five. Yes, there are three characters in the book, not five (and no Timmy the dog). No, there isn't a private island, they don't have picnics with ginger beer (though there is a camping picnic) and in The Good Turn, it's about three neighbours who want to do good deeds in their neighbourhood, rather than cousins who enjoy spending the school holidays together at Kirrin Cottage.
However, the bonding experiences between the two books, the friendships, the desire to solve a mystery and help others is what made me feel a connection between the The Good Turn and the Famous Five books.
🔦
I really enjoyed that this book wasn't completely tied up with a neat ribbon at the end, that the bow is slightly wonky, ands that just how it is sometimes.
🔦
I'd love to see this book continued as a series, and I'm sure a lot of younger readers, as well as older ones, can learn a lot from reading it.
🔦
I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes a good old fashioned Enid Blyton mystery, but with a modern day twist.
Even though there are a lot of differences, I felt like this book is a new version of the Famous Five. Yes, there are three characters in the book, not five (and no Timmy the dog). No, there isn't a private island, they don't have picnics with ginger beer (though there is a camping picnic) and in The Good Turn, it's about three neighbours who want to do good deeds in their neighbourhood, rather than cousins who enjoy spending the school holidays together at Kirrin Cottage.
However, the bonding experiences between the two books, the friendships, the desire to solve a mystery and help others is what made me feel a connection between the The Good Turn and the Famous Five books.
🔦
I really enjoyed that this book wasn't completely tied up with a neat ribbon at the end, that the bow is slightly wonky, ands that just how it is sometimes.
🔦
I'd love to see this book continued as a series, and I'm sure a lot of younger readers, as well as older ones, can learn a lot from reading it.
🔦
I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes a good old fashioned Enid Blyton mystery, but with a modern day twist.
July 17, 2022
I ordered this through Vine. As a middle grade book, I think it is very successful. The characters are all strong in their own way. Josephine, the main character, is a young girl with big ideas. She is determined to do well at school, but she also wants to make a difference to the world/community that she lives in. As a way to make a difference to where she lives, and inspired by historical figure Josephine Holloway who created the first Girl Scouts group for Black girls in America, Josie creates a group called The Copseys with her two friends.
Josie is such a strong character, and that is really good to see. She has a good moral compass, and she is able to think of others and how they may be feeling. Having said that, she also struggles with her own family issues (adapting to having a new baby in the family unit), so she is not completely perfect either. The pacing of the story is good, meaning that younger readers should be engaged with finding out what is going on. I am clearly not its target market, but I would give it 3.5 stars.
Josie is such a strong character, and that is really good to see. She has a good moral compass, and she is able to think of others and how they may be feeling. Having said that, she also struggles with her own family issues (adapting to having a new baby in the family unit), so she is not completely perfect either. The pacing of the story is good, meaning that younger readers should be engaged with finding out what is going on. I am clearly not its target market, but I would give it 3.5 stars.
August 10, 2023
Well it is no secret that I am a BIG Sharna Jackson fan! And once again she did not disappoint. This beautifully written Primary age story which tackles a lot of important issues such as immigrations and gentrification. The story also talks about the Windrush scandal in a way that young readers can understand it and the impactful events.
The characters are endearing and wish for a world that is good and kind. They make it their mission to make a difference. Josephine, Wesley and Margot have an unlikely but sweet friendship. The friends form a group called the Copsey’s which was inspired by the woman who started the first Girl Scout Troop for Black girls in America – Josephine Holloway.
There was a lovely level of mystery and twists throughout with a captivating storyline tackling real world issues with a thought provoking and informative book.
The characters are endearing and wish for a world that is good and kind. They make it their mission to make a difference. Josephine, Wesley and Margot have an unlikely but sweet friendship. The friends form a group called the Copsey’s which was inspired by the woman who started the first Girl Scout Troop for Black girls in America – Josephine Holloway.
There was a lovely level of mystery and twists throughout with a captivating storyline tackling real world issues with a thought provoking and informative book.
March 8, 2025
Adventurous tale-! I like the detail and the plot. It's not a thriller as it genre, but it's heartwarming instead. The family and friendship lessons are well conveyed. So insightful that it's based on the true story in Britain. I love the kids character, they both are belong to each other. Overall enjoyable, but I notice a plot hole in the end.
May 1, 2022
Gripping contemporary mystery with real life racial injustice at its heart. You can read my full review on my blog here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
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November 19, 2022The Good Turn is a adventure full of mystery and intrigue. It had good characters and was fun to read.
Both adults and children will enjoy this one!.
My thanks go to the publisher, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
Both adults and children will enjoy this one!.
My thanks go to the publisher, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
March 9, 2024
To me this is a book about issues such as friendship, racism and injustice. Well written characters and would be a good class reader for discussion. I think some children would be disappointed if it was sold to them as a mystery, but it is a good read, with lots to think about.
August 11, 2024
An Enid Blyton-esque adventure, confronting racism and social injustice, and inspired by the Windrush scandal.
Josie and her friends decide to camp out near their houses to complete their version of a scouting badge. They find some people living in a disused building and after learning their story they come up with a plan to help them.
Informative, engaging, accessible and appealing to children.
Josie and her friends decide to camp out near their houses to complete their version of a scouting badge. They find some people living in a disused building and after learning their story they come up with a plan to help them.
Informative, engaging, accessible and appealing to children.
June 4, 2022
Just OMG!!!! I genuinely don’t have any other words. Amazing from start to finish. So many different prominent themes throughout, with some fabulous twists I just did not see coming!
September 9, 2022
Loved this story and I kniw that lots of children at school will. love Sharna's sttle of writing and how the speech is captured so that is seems so real.
February 17, 2023
An intriguing mystery adventure. " I'm being proactive changing the world"
February 24, 2023
A believable setting with believable goals; informative, nail biting and fun. What's not to like?
November 6, 2023
3/5 for slow start and plotting, 5/5 for characters and coverage of the Windrush scandal.
November 19, 2023
A must-read! I can't wait to dive into Sharna's other captivating stories.
November 5, 2022
For a few years when I was a teenager, I lived in Luton, a down-at-the-heel town on the outskirts of London that has been in decline ever since the car manufacturing industry shifted to foreign shores. You can think of it as the Detroit of the UK. The Good Turn by Sharna Jackson is the first time I’ve ever encountered a book set there.
Eleven-year-old Josephine has her sights set on the future. She always has a new idea in her head (often to the chagrin of her classmates as these frequently involve them ending up with extra homework) and she has already started collecting prospectuses for various universities and planning what extracurricular activities will look good for her applications. The one part of her future she is not looking forward to is the impending birth of her new baby brother. After reading about her namesake—Josephine Holloway, founder of the first Girl Scout troop for Black girls—Jo decides she will found her own community group for young people because simply joining an existing Scout group isn’t enough of a challenge. She names her group The Copseys after her street and drags in her BFF Wesley and new friend Margot to be the founding members, immediately creating badges and talking about uniforms and more.
When she sees lights on in the abandoned factory near her house, Jo wants to investigate and The Copseys quickly discover that people appear to be living in the derelict building. The kids want to help, but by blundering in and not understanding the history of their local area, will they inadvertently make things worse?
The Good Turn is a wonderful middle-grade story that tackles gentrification, the realities of living in depressed neighborhoods, unions, worker’s rights, immigration, and more. As an adult reader, I found the main character to be a little annoying and I do suspect even readers in the target audience may agree with me. Instead, I found myself drawn to Wesley, who is raising his multiple siblings and running his household while his mother is sick following his father leaving the family. Wesley has limited free time and isn’t inclined to simply go along with Jo’s more ridiculous and time-consuming ideas, although he still tries to remain supportive.
The core of the book introduces the Windrush scandal (a British immigration scandal) to young readers in a way that makes it easy to understand while centering the voices of those most impacted by the events. Yes, the whole thing is a little outlandish—I wouldn’t exactly be encouraging ‘tweens to befriend people living in abandoned factories and going to visit them behind their parents’ backs—but as this is a book, it’s all okay. I also appreciated that, while positive, the ending didn’t tie everything up with a typical middle-grade “and they all lived happily ever after” conclusion, choosing instead to keep things that bit more realistic.
Eleven-year-old Josephine has her sights set on the future. She always has a new idea in her head (often to the chagrin of her classmates as these frequently involve them ending up with extra homework) and she has already started collecting prospectuses for various universities and planning what extracurricular activities will look good for her applications. The one part of her future she is not looking forward to is the impending birth of her new baby brother. After reading about her namesake—Josephine Holloway, founder of the first Girl Scout troop for Black girls—Jo decides she will found her own community group for young people because simply joining an existing Scout group isn’t enough of a challenge. She names her group The Copseys after her street and drags in her BFF Wesley and new friend Margot to be the founding members, immediately creating badges and talking about uniforms and more.
When she sees lights on in the abandoned factory near her house, Jo wants to investigate and The Copseys quickly discover that people appear to be living in the derelict building. The kids want to help, but by blundering in and not understanding the history of their local area, will they inadvertently make things worse?
The Good Turn is a wonderful middle-grade story that tackles gentrification, the realities of living in depressed neighborhoods, unions, worker’s rights, immigration, and more. As an adult reader, I found the main character to be a little annoying and I do suspect even readers in the target audience may agree with me. Instead, I found myself drawn to Wesley, who is raising his multiple siblings and running his household while his mother is sick following his father leaving the family. Wesley has limited free time and isn’t inclined to simply go along with Jo’s more ridiculous and time-consuming ideas, although he still tries to remain supportive.
The core of the book introduces the Windrush scandal (a British immigration scandal) to young readers in a way that makes it easy to understand while centering the voices of those most impacted by the events. Yes, the whole thing is a little outlandish—I wouldn’t exactly be encouraging ‘tweens to befriend people living in abandoned factories and going to visit them behind their parents’ backs—but as this is a book, it’s all okay. I also appreciated that, while positive, the ending didn’t tie everything up with a typical middle-grade “and they all lived happily ever after” conclusion, choosing instead to keep things that bit more realistic.
November 18, 2025
BOOK REVIEW-
Book- The Good Turn
Author- Sharna Jackson
Genre- Crime fiction, Thriller, adventure.
In this book “The Good Turn” it’s about a 11 year old girl named Josie Williams who lives on Copsey Close with her friends Margot and Wesley. They were searching for new missions in their neighbourhood to earn their bravery badge and also to help people, the story also shows their school life and family stuff. She started her own group called The Copseys. To do this Josie was inspired by a real woman, Josephine Holloway, who started a Scout group for Black girls.
One day Josie and her friends see mysterious lights in an abandoned factory, so they wanted to find out what was in there and started to investigate because no one was allowed to go there. Before their investigation, they thought it was something mysterious or dangerous but it was not what they expected, they found some people over there and found out that they were trying to find a place to live. By figuring out what was in the factory Josie gets a bravery badge because they showed courage to find out the truth of the factory. Josie feels really good when she earns her first bravery badge. At the end of the story they all return to their normal lives and feel proud of what they did and also Josie didn’t stop searching for new missions and solve them. Josie and her friends learn about kindness and bravery.
My favourite character in this book is Josie because she is brave and wants to help people and solve mysteries.
I would recommend this book to those people who like adventure and mysteries.
I would like to give this book a 4.5 rating because the author made the story a bit long which I found a bit boring to read, but I liked the way she made that story suspenseful and adventurous.
Reviewed by:-
Siddhi Kalane.
Book- The Good Turn
Author- Sharna Jackson
Genre- Crime fiction, Thriller, adventure.
In this book “The Good Turn” it’s about a 11 year old girl named Josie Williams who lives on Copsey Close with her friends Margot and Wesley. They were searching for new missions in their neighbourhood to earn their bravery badge and also to help people, the story also shows their school life and family stuff. She started her own group called The Copseys. To do this Josie was inspired by a real woman, Josephine Holloway, who started a Scout group for Black girls.
One day Josie and her friends see mysterious lights in an abandoned factory, so they wanted to find out what was in there and started to investigate because no one was allowed to go there. Before their investigation, they thought it was something mysterious or dangerous but it was not what they expected, they found some people over there and found out that they were trying to find a place to live. By figuring out what was in the factory Josie gets a bravery badge because they showed courage to find out the truth of the factory. Josie feels really good when she earns her first bravery badge. At the end of the story they all return to their normal lives and feel proud of what they did and also Josie didn’t stop searching for new missions and solve them. Josie and her friends learn about kindness and bravery.
My favourite character in this book is Josie because she is brave and wants to help people and solve mysteries.
I would recommend this book to those people who like adventure and mysteries.
I would like to give this book a 4.5 rating because the author made the story a bit long which I found a bit boring to read, but I liked the way she made that story suspenseful and adventurous.
Reviewed by:-
Siddhi Kalane.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this author’s previous series with the incredible Knights Of, so I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of buddy reading it with my friend Rachael. It follows a girl named Josie and her friends Wes and Margot, as they take inspired from Josephine Holloway and set up their own Guides/Scouts style group called the Copseys. They then discover that people are living in a disused factory nearby, and set out to work out why and what they can do about it. I think my favourite thing about this is how memories the characters are- Josephine is so ambitious and determined to help people, Wes is just so funny and caring and a DELIGHT (I was GIGGLING so much in the camping scene especially!!), and I loved getting to understand Margot more as the book went on as she’s definitely a bit of a mystery at the start and then as I got to know her, I felt a lot of sympathy for her in many ways. I think the message of this story- which is kind of hard to discuss in detail without giving away the whole mystery, hence my slight evasiveness – is really beautiful and I’m so excited to see where the series goes next.
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