ALISHEA: No, I definitely wouldn't present Book Club again. I only did that last time because you were on Strictly, remember?
Ok, bye-bye. Coming up on today's Book Club, we are going to be swapping lives with comedian and author Bec Hill. We're going to be having a look at your emoji challenges and your five-word reviews. And also, we're going to be chatting to the author of "High Rise Mystery", Sharna Jackson.
Welcome to C±«Óătv Book Club, Sharna Jackson. Hello, Sharna.
SHARNA JACKSON: Hey, how are you, Alishea?
ALISHEA: I'm very good, thank you. So thank you so much for coming to see us.
SHARNA: Oh, my pleasure.
ALISHEA: I'm talking all about your book as well. Um, so your book is called "The Good Turn", but can you tell us a little bit more about it?
SHARNA JACKSON: Of course. "The Good Turn" is about Josephine Williams and now she is one of these really future-focused young people. She is really obsessed about what's going to happen next and how she's going to leave her town.
And one day, when she's just busy googling herself, which is something she loves to do.
ALISHEA: We all do it. [laughs]
SHARNA JACKSON: If internet was around when I was eleven, I totally would've been doing it myself. But she's googling herself and she comes across a person called Josephine Holloway, who really, really inspires her. And she is, um, she decides to make her own scout troop along with her friends, Wesley and, uh, Margot.
And it's all going really great. They're earning their badges. But one day they go for their camping badge and they end up outside an abandoned factory. And it all gets a little bit spooky, actually. SoâŠ
ALISHEA: I could imagine. Yeah, I wouldn't like that to happen to me.
SHARNA JACKSON: Oh, I wouldn't either. They're very brave.
ALISHEA: So, you just said that Josephine is inspired by another Josephine. Can you tell me a bit more about Josephine herself?
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah. Josephine Holloway. So, Josephine Holloway was a woman who lived in America in the 1940s and 50s and she was the first black lady to start a scout troop for black girls in the deep south. She was incredibly brave and worked very hard to get that off the ground.And now in America she's celebrated. There's a Camp Holloway. And people talk about her every year in scouting anniversaries.
ALISHEA: That's brilliant. So Josephine was inspired by Josephine. But who were you inspired by when you were younger?
SHARNA JACKSON: Oh, huh, I was inspired by, I was inspired by my parents. They were really interesting and cool. Um, inspired by my, my friends around me. Um, and I used to read a lot when I was little. So I'd read, um, [laughs] I can't believe I'm admitting this, medical encyclopaedias.
ALISHEA: Very nice, my brother's like that.
SHARNA: Yeah? Enc-encyclopaed-paedias about everything.
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah, love reading about like, funky diseases.
ALISHEA: Just love learning.
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah. So that was, I was inspired by people and books, totally.
ALISHEA: Lovely. Um, and is it true, so random, you sometimes write on a boat?
SHARNA JACKSON: That's true, I do. [ALISHEA: Very nice, very cool!] I live on a boat in Rotterdam.
ALISHEA: Oh, right, very cool!
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah, and it's a really old ship, uh, she's called Anna Maria. She was built in 1897. So like, over a hundred and twenty or s-, I can't do numbers very well.
ALISHEA: [laughs]
SHARNA JACKSON: So like, over a hundred and twenty. And yeah, it's nice to, it is nice to write on a boat. It, it, because I live there all the time, it's not a massive inspiration. It's kind of just where I live.
ALISHEA: it doesn't feel too different to you.
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah, but it's, I, I do love that boat, yeah.
ALISHEA: Yeah, wow. Um, so there is a sense of social activism in the book as well. So what would you say to somebody who might be interested in making a change in the world?
SHARNA JACKSON: Ok, so, if you're interested in making a change, I really think, think about what change you want to make. Is it, do you want to work with food banks? Talk to the adults in your life about, uh, the groups that you may be able to join and what's suitable. And together, research and see where, where you can be impactful.You can also start your own group. LIke, uh, like my, my babies. Uh, but be very careful. And do get some advice.
ALISHEA: Yeah. Absolutely. Um, and obviously, another part of the book is the mystery. So how do you go about making your own mystery?
SHARNA JACKSON: Oh, my goodness. Being a mystery writer is really, really fun. 'Cause you get to scam people, basically. And I love a bit of scamming.
ALISHEA: Yeah. [laughs]
SHARNA JACKSON: Um, so what you have to, if you're writing a mystery, my biggest tip is to know what the mystery is
ALISHEA: Yes.
SHARNA JACKSON: before you do it. So, write yourself a little fact-file. Who did it, when they did it, why they did it, who they did it to.
ALISHEA: So you've got to know all the answers before you ask the questions.
SHARNA JACKSON: Exactly. Exactly. Then you can put all your little red herrings and little, um, asides in the story. So yeah, know, know what you're doing.
ALISHEA: Yeah, brilliant. Um, and what is your favourite mystery then? That you've ever read in any book, ever.
SHARNA JACKSON: Oooh, oh, I really like Robin Stevens' books. She wrote, uh, "Murder Most Unladylike" and she actually was an editor on a book that I did before "The Good Turn" called "High Rise Mystery".
ALISHEA: Right.
SHARNA JACKSON: So, I really love her stories and I really look up to her as a writer.
ALISHEA: Yeah, that's great. Um, and we also love a mystery here on C±«Óătv, so I've created a few of my own. And what I want you to do is guess the person behind the literary mystery and what book they're from. [SHARNA:Oooh.] Do you feel up to it?
SHARNA JACKSON: Oh my goodness.
ALISHEA: [laughs] Let's go for it. So, obviously, as these are crimes as well, I've got to do it in a very mysterious and spooky way. So I'm going to try and set the scene as best as I can. So, a priceless painting has been stolen from a Peruvian forest. Ooh.
The crime scene shows marmalade handprints on the door and fibres from a blue duffle coat found at the scene. But who has stolen the painting, Sharna, do you know?
SHARNA JACKSON: I think I might know. It's my boy Paddington, isn't it?
ALISHEA: It is, it's Paddington Bear. It's the marmalade that gave it away.
SHARNA: Yeah.
SHARNA JACKSON: Yeah, absolutely. Ok, your second one.
SHARNA JACKSON: Ok.
ALISHEA: The world's messiest bedroom has been reported. Among piles of sweet wrappers and cheesy old socks, there are moving posters of the Chudley Cannons quidditch team barely visible from the clutter stuck to the walls.
There's a selection of hand-knitted jumpers as well with the letter R on them. The floor and the pillow also are matted with ginger hairs. Who has committed this crime?
SHARNA JACKSON: It's Ron Weasley.
ALISHEA: Of course, it's Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, yes. And third one. The village's prize turnip has been stolen. Duh-duh-duhhh. The crime scene shows several very large footstimps - footstimps? Footprints. I was trying to say steps and prints.
âŠleading to the turnip podium where it was on display. But the CCTV cameras didn't spot anyone. Perhaps they'd made themselves invisible. The only other clue we have is that the culprit was followed by small little angry fellows when questioned. And they said his name was Gollum.So who committed this crime?
SHARNA JACKSON: It's someone out of Lord of the Rings, isn't it?
ALISHEA: Yes,yes.
SHARNA JACKSON: Is it Frodo? [buzzer]
ALISHEA: No, it was Bilbo Baggins, from The Hobbit.
SHARNA JACKSON: Oh, it was Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit.
ALISHEA: I mean, you were on the right lines. You're on the right lines, at least you didn't say something completely random. [laughs] Didn't do too bad there, Sharna. You got two out of three. But excellent mystery solving. And also here on Book Club, what we like to do is write and read and review.
So before we'd like-, before we go, we'd like to hear your five-word review of "The Good Turn". Any five words to describe it.
SHARNA JACKSON: Uh, slightly spooky, social action, story.
ALISHEA: It is a story, indeed. [laughter] Good final word there, Sharna. That's brilliant. Um, so let's have a look as well at some of the five-word reviews that C±«Óătv Book Clubbers have been sending in.
So Opal Happy Turtle has reviewed "Scarlet and Ivy" by Sophie Cleverly, as, she says, "twins investigate mysteries at school." That's a pretty good
SHARNA: That's really good.
ALISHEA: description of the book.
Um, grungecupcake18 has sent in "Butterfly garden makes enemies friends" about Jacqueline Wilson's "The Butterfly Club". A very good book. I've read that one.
Um, and Danger_Mouse_Iceberg has reviewed "A Pinch of Magic" by Michelle Harrison using the words "Sisters, cursed, trapped, island, and trouble." That sounds very mysterious. That's kind of like on the right lines for "The Good Turn" as well, mystery book.
Um, so if you'd like to send us your five word review, just go over to the C±«Óătv Book Club page on the C±«Óătv website. We would love to hear from you. But thank you so much for joining us, Sharna. It's been great learning a little bit more about "The Good Turn" and you are very good at doing your deciphering of the fictional mysteries.
SHARNA JACKSON: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
ALISHEA: You're very welcome.
Now Book Clubbers, it is time to meet another of our awesome authors. As well as being a presenter and a paper puppeteer, she's also a comedian. And not only that, but she's scarily good at writing creepy books. Everybody, it's Bec Hill.
BEC HILL: Hi!
ALISHEA: Hello, Bec. Uh, so Bec, this is your second Horror Heights book. And this one is subtitled "Now LiveStreaming". So can you tell us all about it?
BEC HILL: Yeah, it's about a boy called Ryan who really wants to be a streamer. Uh, he wants to be a streamer just like his favourite one, Grimmf. And then one day he wakes up in Grimmf's body in Grimmf's studio and he's trapped.
ALISHEA: Wow. Like, that is something you just would never expect to happen. So, why did you choose horror as your genre?
BEC HILL: Um, there's actually a lot of similarities between horror and comedy. 'Cause I come from a, uh, comedy background. I do standup. I also, you know, write for a lot of animated shows. So a lot of silly, fun stuff. And comedy is all about surprise. You know, it's all about the, the leadup to a punchline.
And then delivering something people aren't necessarily expecting. And horror is really similar. And I really like those similarities.
ALISHEA: Yeah, so you chose a genre that you're very familiar with. And I never thought about horror being so connected to comedy like that. So that's very insightful. Um, but what inspired you to write about an influencer?
BEC HILL: Uh, well, a lot of the, um, the stories in Horror Heights are based on sort of, you know, true events. And, uh, and this was, uh, based around someone who had become quite obsessed with the idea of being a streamer and became a bit trapped in that.
So, um, it was very much, uh, influen-, well, influenced by that. And, um, and just, you know, what's out there at the moment and the fact that becoming an influencer or a streamer is such a big career opportunity now. Which wasn't when I was growing up.
ALISHEA: Mm, yeah, um, so what kind of books did you love when you were growing up?
BEC HILL: I was a big fan of strange and spooky stories. There's an author in Australia called Paul Jennings, if anyone can get ahold of Paul Jennings books, you're in for a treat. They're all short stories. very strange, very weird. And there's, uh, and then obviously Goosebumps was a big one when I was growing up as well.
ALISHEA: So can you give our budding authors that are watching any tips on how to be funny when they're writing?
BEC HILL: Uh, I think just go with what you find is funny. A lot of the stuff that makes me laugh in the books is stuff that would make me laugh in real life. It's how I would talk to my friends or how I hear other people talking to each other.
I think just, uh, don't feel that you have to force it. I think often it, it comes naturally.
ALISHEA: That's a good idea. Um, so B-Bec, as your book is about swapping lives with somebody else, I thought it might be a good idea if we swapped lives. Ok, so all you have to do in order to swap lives with me is say 'yes' three times.
BEC HILL: Yes, yes, yes.
ALISHEA: Ok. [harp music] It might have worked. I don't know. Have a go. [chuckles]
BEC HILL: Welcome to C±«Óătv Book Club. I'm Alishea and I love dancing. Today I'm talking to Bec Hill,one of the coolest people in the whole world. She's amazing. In fact, she's my favourite person. She's so talented. And I'm so excited to have here because she's the best.
ALISHEA: I don't think we actually swapped there. Did we? That was⊠but that was good acting. Well done, Bec. [laughs] Um, but now I am back in control. I'm going to give you a quickfire quiz all about life swapping. Ok, so I'm going to give you two literary characters.And you just have to tell me which one you would rather swap lives with. You have to pick one. And this quiz is called Quickfire Life Swap. Ok, so let's play.
Your first one, Willy Wonka or The Mad Hatter?
BEC HILL: Willy Wonka.
ALISHEA: That was such a quick answer. Is it because of the chocolate and the sweets?
BEC HILL: Yeah, yeah.
ALISHEA: That's exactly what I would've said, yes. Uh, ok. Tracy Beaker or Matilda?
BEC HILL: Oh, Matilda.
ALISHEA: Yeah, love Matilda. Um, Hagrid or Mr Twit?
BEC HILL: Hagrid.
ALISHEA: Hagrid, yes, I am a Harry Potter fan. I would've picked Hagrid as well. Uh, and the peach, from "James and the Giant Peach" or a snozzcumber from "The BFG"?
BEC HILL: Ohh, I think a snozzcumber.
ALISHEA: Fair play, fair play. Uh, and last one, Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel?
BEC HILL: Ooh, that's tricky. Uh, Captain Marvel.
ALISHEA: Yeah, they're both very similar kind of characters. They're both very powerful. But yes, good answer. Thanks so much, Bec, it's been lovely getting to know the book and you. And also, how you use comedy as well as horror and how they're connected, also. So I hope you guys have enjoyed it as well.
BEC HILL: I have. I've had so much fun as well, thanks for having me.
ALISHEA: Last month, we set you a new emoji challenge to make a story using just three emojis. And they were a mug, a magic wand, and a tree. So let's have a read of some of my favourites.
Ok, Pizza Girl says, one day a girl named Florence was sitting near a tree. When all of a sudden, a magic wand fell onto her head. Bash! You get one wish granted, came a strange voice from nowhere. So the girl decided to wish for a mug.
Then the wand flew away into the distance, never to be seen again. What a mystery. Thank you Pizza Girl. We've got another one from FlashMcFireyArrow888 who says, one day, Hacker found a seed in his kettle and planted it in a mug filled with soil.
Hacker waited and waited, but the seed was just taking so long to grow. So he whipped out his magic wand, gifted to him by the prince of far Bobbletown, and zapped the seed. Suddenly it sprouted and grew and grew and grew until Hacker's kennel became a treehouse.
What an amazing story. That was brilliant. And Hedgehog10 says, once a wizard had a drink from his mug and it tasted like a tree. So with his wand, he changed the drink in his mug to hot chocolate instead. I love a hot chocolate. That'd be much better than tree water, I imagine.
Um, and Terribly Terrific Turtle says, once upon a time, a tree decided to dance. He loved to dance, sing, and boogie. But his dream didn't come true until a porcelain mug came flying into his trunk. It transported him into another dimension where everyone had a magic wand.
He found a wand in his canopy and swished it about to see if anything would happen. And to his surprise, he ended up dancing on Strictly Tree Dancing. The end. That was, there were so many things happening in that story, that was brilliant.
I'm feeling inspired by today's authors, so I'm going to set you a brand new emoji challenge with three new emojis. You've got a phone. You've got a magnifying glass. And also, a hill, because Bec Hill.
So if you want to get involved with the emoji challenge, just go to the Book Club page on the C±«Óătv website. Scroll down and there you see it, emoji story challenge. Now before we go, let's have a look at some of your book shelfies.
Ok, so this first one is from Archie. And he says he loves watching and reading Worzel Gummidge. So he's dressed up as Worzel Gummidge. This is amazing. I love how you've even gone into a field for your own little photo shoot there, Archie. That's brilliant.
And Corinza2014 has dressed up as Hermione from Harry Potter to show much she loves Harry Potter. And I also love Harry Potter. You've even got the book there. You've got "The Philosopher's Stone" and you've got your own robe on. That is brilliant. That's it for this month. Keep on reading.
And if you see Rhys, I was never here. Do not tell him I did this month's Book Club. He never needs to know.
This month's C±«Óătv Book Club is presented by Alishea and sheâs joined in Book Club HQ by Sharna Jackson, the author of âThe Wrong Turnâ, who talks about writing mysteries, how she was inspired by an American girl-scout leader called Josephine Holloway, and what itâs like to live and write on a boat! Sharna also takes on the Five Word Review challenge.
Alishea also meets comedian and horror writer Bec Hill to discuss her new book, âNow Live: Streamingâ, a story all about swapping lives with a famous influencer! Bec talks about how comedy and horror are actually quite similar, why sheâd rather be a Snozzcumber from the BFG than a giant peach from James and The Giant Peach, and at one point⊠actually swaps bodies with Alishea to present book club.
C±«Óătv Book Club is all about celebrating books and getting children excited about reading! These monthly programmes feature authors, illustrators and celebrities talking about their latest books, stories they loved reading when they were young, the creative ways in which they write/illustrate and most importantly, getting children involved with games, challenges and book reviews.
Teacher notes
M.T. Khan and R.J. Palacio both talk about the books they have written that promote acceptance and empathy towards others. This could be used in class as a lesson on celebrating differences and treating others with kindness.
Suggested follow-up activities
Ask the children to think of five adjectives that describe a book they have recently read.
In M.T. Khanâs book, âNura and the Immortal Palaceâ, the lead character works in a mica mine. Explore how young children are being used to mine mica and think of what impact it has on their lives.
Look at âOliver Twistâ by Charles Dickens and investigate how child labour existed in Britain in the past. Ask the children to find what changes were made to stop it happening. This episode from the ±«Óătv Teach series Dodger's Guide to Victorian Britain features some of the ways in which children were employed in Victorian times.
M.T. Khan talks about how she wanted to write a story where a Muslim child was the hero, as she felt that she often saw Muslims depicted âwronglyâ in the media. Ask the children to learn about a religion or culture that is different to their own and use this as an inspiration for a story.
Ask the children to investigate how to make gulab jamun â the ânational dessertâ of Pakistan, or one of their favourite desserts, and to write a recipe. They could also write a poem about âan edible ball of joyâ â the phrase that M.T. Khan uses to describe gulab jamun.
Challenge the children to design and make their own unique dessert and make packaging for it.
Ask the children to imagine they have been stuck in a lift with their favourite book character. Who would it be, and what could happen in the lift whilst they were waiting to be rescued?
Challenge the children to write a story in pairs, taking turns writing a small chapter each.
R.J. Palacioâs book âWonderâ features a character who has a craniofacial condition. Learn about craniofacial conditions and how this can lead to people looking different. Ask the children to imagine how it would feel if they looked different to their peers and how they would feel if everybody stared at them. Encourage them to think about the importance of treating everyone fairly and equally. The charity âChanging Facesâ offers for teaching about visible difference, including resources that focus on the novel, âWonderâ.
R.J. Palacio talks about what you should do in a situation where you do not know what to do. She says âJust be kindâ. Ask the children if they have ever been in a similar situation where they didnât know what to do. Were they kind? What could they do to be kind?
Both authors used a real life experience as an inspiration to write their books. Challenge the children to think of something that has happened in their lives that could encourage them to write a story that promotes kindness and empathy towards others.
Emoji challenge: Can you make up a story with an egg, a key and a train?
Curriculum Notes
This programme is suitable for use with pupils aged 7-12. It is designed primarily for use in English lessons with KS2 pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with 2nd Level pupils in Scotland.
Related content
March 2022 - World Book Day. video
Join Rhys Stephenson for a special C±«Óătv Book Club celebrating all things World Book Day 2022! Astronaut Tim Peake rockets in to tell us about the books he read in space and why World Book Day is important to him, Ben Bailey Smith aka Doc Brown is answering C±«Óătv viewer questions, Humza Arshad tells us how Little Badman is celebrating World Book Day and Cressida Cowell tells us all about the magic of reading, how to get involved and the importance of diversity in childrenâs books.
April 2022. video
Dame Jacqueline Wilson answers your questions, plays the Emoji challenge, and tells us all about her awesome new book, which is a modern version of the 'The Magic Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton. Rhys also meets Lucy Hawking, daughter of legendary theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who tells us all about her new book, 'Princess Olivia Investigates: The Wrong Weather'. Lucy also tells us what it was like to write childrenâs books with her dad, why a pig featured in their books, and why she was banned from writing about aliens!
World Book Day - Teaching Resources. collection
Explore our collection of teaching resources for primary and secondary schools, perfect for inspiring your class with the joy of reading on World Book Day.
