Fiction 9 and up

NZ Writer

Anne Ingram

Lucy Bee and the Secret Gene

White Gull Press, Kapiti 2014  $19.99pb  203p

ISBN 978 0 4732 7999 8

Themes: Best friends/ Bullying/ Family life/ Genes/ Science Fairs

Like many children, Lucy Bennett suddenly has a terrible moment of doubt. Are her parents really her parents? They swear they are but what if there had been an unnoticed switch in the hospital? And why does Lucy not look like any of the rest of the family – especially with her frizzy red hair. Lucy decides to track her genes and the quest keeps the reader guessing until the last pages.

This is one of those stories you simply do not want to put down and would make a good read aloud over about three sessions.

Anne Ingram is well known for her many books, among them titles of Asian fairy tales and a novel for older primary readers, The Sea Robbers. All these books, mainly written some 20 years ago, are still in libraries today and I found on the net that the Singapore Central Library holds up to five copies of all her titles.

I was privileged to be asked to launch Lucy Bee and the Secret Gene at the Paraparaumu Public Library last night. It is a book I feel will do very well indeed and that this marks the beginning of a return to writing for a voice that has been missed.

Year 5 up/ Age 9 up

Anne signs a copy of the book for a reader at Paraparaumu Library last night.

Image: Barbara Murison