Books like Gemma

This is the first of the four 'Gemma' books, written as contemporary novels in the late 1960s. I read this many times as a child and teenager, and it very much reflected everyday life as I knew it, as a child in that era. It features a typical Streatfeild family with very little money and lots of talent.It’s a nice tale of maturing friendships and self-discovery. 11-year-old Gemma finds that there are more important things in life than money and nice clothes, and her three cousins gain a lot from her joining their family. Re-reading it in the last couple of days, I realise again that what matters most to me in any book is the characterisation. I could picture the whole family in my mind; I could almost hear their voices in my head. Streatfeild doesn’t weigh down her readers in descriptions, but the interactions between people feel realistic, and perhaps evocative of my own childhood. Admittedly an excess of talent in three siblings - with a very ordinary mother - is unlikely, but that’s a premise we are given in the first chapter. The rest follows.I know most modern children want faster-paced books with lots of excitement and suspense; but for those who are eclectic readers, enjoying the classics and mid-century novels of my own childhood, i would highly recommend this book. Ideal for fluent readers of about eight and upwards, or as a bedtime read-aloud. Or, indeed, for adults like me wanting a bit of nostalgia.