Each of the five 30-minute session plans are supported by a film clip and offer fun response activities that encourage pupils to explore the core themes, events and characters in Chapter One of The Boy With Wings. On his 1984 wedding to French, he writes of rising to make his speech, “and suddenly regret[ting] inviting industry people. Why did I invite all these people off the telly? Why is the woman from Hi-de-Hi! at my wedding?” All through the 90s, he recalls, “I had something to prove [and] I threw myself into the work, even though, with a young child around, I could have slowed down a little and helped out a bit more.” When Winifred became gravely ill in 1998, Henry decided to go off on an arranged tour of Australia. She died while he was gone and in his memoirs he wonders what that was about. “Why couldn’t I just be at Mum’s side? I still don’t know and still question my behaviour at that time.” He describes what sound like the beginnings of the end of his marriage to French: “My selfish need to succeed through constant working [was] taking its toll on my family life. I made some bad decisions.” Henry's first book for children is as funny as might be expected but it's also quietly thoughtful and poignant, examining ideas of heritage, family, love and belonging in a way that lifts the Chosen One troupe out of the territory of cliché. Towards the end of Rising to the Surface (which breaks off before his turn to academia, theatre acting and novel writing), Henry considers Winifred’s advice about life being a garden needing tending. He concludes with melancholy frankness that working within the entertainment industry can “make you the most neglectful gardener on Earth”.

My thanks to MacMillan U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Book of Legends: What if all the stories were real?’ by Sir Lenny Henry. The audiobook is read by the author. This was such a delightful tale, bursting with magic and adventure. There are also plenty of jokes. Keenon Ferrell’s illustrations were a perfect addition to the text. I enjoyed this very much. While intended for readers aged 8 and older, I feel that like many Middle Grade books it will appeal to readers of all ages. Quests are no joke (but there are lots of jokes in this book) and this is the quest of a lifetime . . . I highly recommend this wonderful audiobook and Big Thank you to Lenny for the precious hours I had with my nephew listening to this, He loved it

Twelve-year-old Tunde is just your average kid: average friends, average parents, average grades. Sure, he has his quirks, but if he can avoid the school bullies and hang out with his ragtag group of friends, he's happy enough. But his life is about to get turned upside down when, in the middle of a football match, Tunde leaps for the ball and stays in the air - on an enormous pair of wings! With his mother Winifred after winning talent show New Faces in 1975. Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Following the mysterious disappearance four years ago of their father, twelve-year-old twins Bran and Fran are living with their mum in a small Midlands town. She has always told them wonderful stories and now works as a storyteller at the Once Upon a Wow bookstore. A number of her stories are scattered throughout the text. From comedy legend Lenny Henry, author of The Boy With Wings, comes his fantastic second middle grade novel, The Book of Legends, perfect for fans of outrageous adventures and illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell. Bran and Fran just love living with their mum, everyday is different as she Loves telling them daily stories., especially as she is the storyteller at the Once Upon a Wow bookstore in their small Midlands town.From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada: Hilarious and heartfelt ... interwoven with messages about family, friendship, courage and belonging Everything Tunde knows is about to change. Under the guidance of a mysterious visitor known as The Seeker, he discovers new-found powers, a secret past, and some seriously powerful people who are determined to keep that past buried, whatever the cost. With strange things happening in a place known as The Facility and someone important in need of rescue, Tunde is going to need more than a little help from his friends. Join Tunde, Kylie, Jiah and Neville on an out-of-this-world adventure that brings Tunde face-to-face with his destiny. Looking for a fast-paced adventure? Lenny Henry's The Book of Legends is a laugh-out-loud magical story for 8-12-year-olds, illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell.

Always looking for genuinely laugh out loud funny books and [The Boy with Wings] 100% delivered. THANK YOU. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find UsHe was introduced to Shakespeare when he made the 2006 Radio 4 series Lenny and Will. Which saw him going "in search of the magic of Shakespeare in performance." In February 2009 Henry appeared in the Northern Broadsides production of Othello. He received widespread critical acclaim in the role. But then, in a chapter paying off that notion of Henry “rising to the surface”, he describes winning a major industry award for one of his 2000s TV shows. The chapter comes with a photo of him holding a Golden Rose of Montreux entertainment award and the words: “What surfacing looks like.” For the reader it’s an unsettling swerve, I say. It seems to undercut his epiphanies in the previous chapters about the relative value of private and public validation. Photograph: David Vintiner/The Guardian. Set styling: Lee Flude. Fashion styling: Sarah Ann Murray. Grooming: Min Sandhu, both at Carol Hayes Management. Hair: Morris Roots. Coat: OAMC This was such a delightful tale, bursting with magic and adventure. There are also plenty of jokes.

Five films exploring the themes of each session, from TV presenters Joanna Adeyinka-Burford and Sienna Clarke Quests are no joke (but there are lots of jokes in this book). Two ordinary kids are about to go on one extraordinary adventure! In his drive for greater inclusivity, the author was inspired to learn sign language himself and to feature a deaf character in the form of Bran. We see the twins communicate through BSL as they journey through a world of wizards, storytelling Vikings, a villainous prince and a larger-than-life Zebracorn. Twelve-year-old twins Fran and Bran and their mum live in a small town in the Midlands, Dad having mysteriously disappeared one stormy night on a family camping trip. At least the stories Mum tells them, the tales of the Nine Dominions, provide some much-needed consolation. Henry turns over a few answers in his whirring brain, perhaps trying to decide whether to take the question seriously or to treat it as a joke. He settles on something in between. “I want a special medal,” he decides. “It wouldn’t be a gold one. Not a silver one. What comes after bronze? Pewter? I want a pewter medal. And I want it to be engraved with the words: ‘He fell over in the race. But he participated.’”

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When Henry wrote this up in a first volume of memoir, 2019’s Who Am I Again?, it was “like ripping off a plaster”, he says. “I felt like I was being truthful about myself for the first time, where before I’d had to be economical. And now I can talk about my birth father without feeling like …” He does an impression of a tortured superhero in pain. He grits his teeth and groans. Then he drops the performance, Lenny again, and says: “They’re all dead now. I can’t hurt them.” Perfect for fans of fast-paced adventures, The Book of Legends, from comedian Lenny Henry is a laugh-out-loud magical story for 8-12 year olds, illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell.