Today is the last day to download your free copy of Bernard’s Watch.
Lots have already taken advantage of the offer and now have a delightful story to read themselves and with their children.
No catch just a three day promotion to celebrate World Book Day.
Just click on the links below.
Bernard’s Watch by Andrew Norriss is the children’s book based on the popular children’s TV series Bernard’s Watch. The eBook is free for 3 days now from Amazon.
What would you do if you had a watch that could stop time?
When Bernard finds himself outside of school during the lunch break, his Aunt B. gives him a special watch with the power to stop time. With it, Bernard need never be late for anything again, and begins using the watch to help himself and others. He becomes star of the school football team by playing in goal, waiting for the ball to come his way, then stopping time and moving into a position where he can stop the goal being scored. He stops time so he can find out the answers to difficult maths and other academic problems, and to hand school bullies over to the police without them knowing how they came to be hanging on railings outside the police station. But the watch also has a power for great harm. While Bernard can use it to stop time and move someone out of the way of a car accident, someone else could use it to move him into the path on an oncoming bus. And can the watch stop time from running out for his elderly Aunt B.?
Andrew Norriss shines in this book; his writing is sensitive, humorous and thought-provoking all at once. The relationships between the characters are extremely important, and Norriss doesn’t just focus on the children. He give times to the personalities of Aunt B. and the thoughts of Mr. Beasley and his neighbour, and shows Bernard’s change through their eyes as well as Bernard’s own. It is refreshing for the listener to have time to appreciate the reactions of Bernard’s close family and friends, as well as the police sergeant who finds himself mysteriously caught up in events where things seem to appear and or disappear into thin air. It is enjoyable by both children and adults.
The audio book runs at approximately 3 and a half hours, perfect for a long car journey.
by Louise Anne Bateman, WATERSTONE’S CRAWLEY
Free Download on World Book Day 2013
“Bernard’s aunt gave him the watch at a little after two o’clock on a Thursday afternoon in early February. Later, he would sometimes wonder why his aunt chose to give it to him at that particular time or, indeed, why she chose to give it to him at all, instead of to somebody else. But whatever the reason, he was always extremely grateful to her. It was the perfect present at the time because, at the time, time was exactly what he needed.”
So begins Bernard’s Watch by Andrew Norriss. The story began as a 15 minute short film for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) some years ago. As the brief was to provide a story comprehensible and enjoyable for children throughout Europe, there was little dialogue and a narrator told the story. It was a great success, so much so that a series was commissioned by ITV, and then another and another…
The first run told of a young boy called Bernard who was always late, until a postman gave him a “magic watch” which could stop time. He soon found out that the postman had magical powers, and that these watches were given to people who needed them. The rules of him keeping his watch were that he couldn’t use it to commit crimes and couldn’t be greedy. Every episode focused on Bernard or someone he’d lent the watch to facing a problem or simply doing day-to-day stuff and trying to sort it out, using the watch.
Andrew Norriss wrote 6 series of delightfully stories about Bernard and then used some of the ideas to write a the book Bernard’s Watch published by Puffin Books in 1999. When it went out of print I typed it out (we didn’t have the original document), and published it as an eBook. It was a delight for me to re-read and I recommend it to adults and children alike. Andrew Norriss’s characteristic ‘light humorous touch’ and clever plotting make for a most enjoyable and satisfying read, and so that more can appreciate it I have made it free to download for 3 days this week including World Book Day. Do help your self and let me know what you think!
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I think most teachers and librarians would agree that the best way to get children reading is to give them a good story, either one read to them which I don’t think happens enough, of one they read themselves. But what is a good story? This is what I wrote in 2009 and it still holds true for me now. What do you think…
How to define a good story… For me, these are the best:
a fun, humorous, and intriguing story; inspiring and uplifting rather than depressing and despairing; a story that you can’t put down once you’ve started – and is of a length that if you sit long enough you can do just that; a story that keeps you guessing all they way through and yet is entirely logical and believable in a not quite of this world sort of way; a story that leaves you feeling satisfied and complete – and yet wanting more; rounded believable characters who behave consistently; exciting without manipulating the emotions; problems that need solving; and an overall theme/idea of growth and discovery.
To find all of these in a story is a rare and wonderful thing, and I find that the stories written by Andrew Norriss fulfill them all. Written for children, but enjoyed by readers of all ages – children, teenagers, twenties, parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians. These are stories that get even the most reluctant children enjoying reading and wanting to read more. And as Andrew Norriss has declared ‘Reading is the most essential skill of all‘.
Read for my School is a national schools reading competition is brought about by The Pearson Foundation and Booktrust, with support from the Department for Education. In 2012 and 2013 Aquila by Andrew Norriss was one of the books available to read for free as an eBook during that time – I don’t know if it is on this year’s list.
Aquila won the Whitbread Children’s Award in 1997 and is a Puffin Modern Classic both of which reflect how good the book is – a well told story with a message delivered with a light humorous touch. Its timeless quality means it’s still being discovered anew after so many years as shown by this review from an American blogger on Nov 19th.
Interesting science fiction book… interesting how the inquiry process really is blatantly presented in this book. Boys skip out on a field trip and discover a skeleton and a spaceship in a cave. Boys learn how to fly around and work the spaceship. Then boys find one thing they’re interested in researching after another. Teachers become concerned and curious about the boyschange in attitude towards reading and learning… I enjoyed the book overall. Wouldn’t mind finding a spaceship to fly around in! Goodreads Summary: Two schoolboys out on a school trip discover a space ship, Aquila. They learn to fly the ship, and to talk Latin – the only language Aquila understands. After many adventures, they realise Aquila is making a real difference to their lives…
The Styling Librarian
So to read one of the best loved children’s books around for free, schools can sign up to Read for my School giving even more children the chance to discover that reading can be fun, flying your own spaceship is a real possibility and that school work and learning might not be such a bad idea after all!
There are brilliant Teaching Ideas and Resources on the Teaching Ideas Website here.
Andrew Norriss - Children's Author & Winner of the Whitbread (Costa) Award 