Me and Mister P: Ruby's Star

written by and 8 Year old:Mr P landed in a park where Ruby was. Mr P came to live with Ruby and help her.I loved this book as much as I loved the other one.A very good book, I recommend it - 5 stars

Ruby spends her days, and nights, looking after her Mum and baby brother, and has done ever since her Dad left. She dreams of having time to herself and her very own skateboard, but she knows they’re both just dreams. Too frightened of the consequences to ask for help, she’s lonely, friendless and frightened. When Mister P drops into her life, he’s just another thing to add to her list of worries, isn’t he?I’m delighted Mister P is back to help another child in need. He’s Nanny McPhee in polar bear form, and his wordless companionship is just what is needed to help Ruby think through her worries and solve them for herself, including allowing others to help her. Ruby shows real determination and perseverance to look after her family, at the expense of her own emotional needs for friendship and play. I adored Mrs Moresby, and her straightforward, gentle kindness, unwavering friendship and knowing when to step back or step in. I also loved that the story explained possible reasons for unacceptable behaviour without excusing it. And for any budding skate boarders, there’s a great section at the end of the book with hints and tips on some cool tricks!Maria Farrer has taken the subject of child carers and woven it into a heart-felt story, that is by turns bleak, funny, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting. Daniel Ridley’s illustrations add depth and humour to this charming book.Those of us who work in schools all know a ‘Ruby’; there will be Rubys in every school in the country, who all need someone to be their Mister P. They need our compassion and understanding to help them with their daily lives, allow them to be children and encourage them to find healthy ways to deal with their emotions. We need to help other children understand the Rubys in their classes, so their time at school is spent enjoying friends rather than in frustrated isolation.

I’m absolutely delighted that Maria Farrer’s wonderful Mister P series is back with Me and Mister P: Ruby’ Star, subsequently being published after the first book, Me and Mister P, was at the beginning of 2017. Having been shortlisted for a number of awards since then including the UKLA Book Award 2018 and chosen as part of the 2018 Read for Empathy Book Collection for Empathy Day, it is clear to say that Me and Mister P has been a resounding success for all the right reasons.With Ruby’s Star, Mister P this time helps out a new ‘me’ character in the form of Ruby. Longing for her missing dad, she looks towards the stars hoping that he is looking down on them but wait…Is it a bird?Is it a plane?No, it’s Mister P!Not just content with showing up on doorsteps, Mister P this time takes to the skies to crash land, quite literally, in to Ruby’s life with the help of a hot-air balloon. Looking after her mum and baby brother Leo and balancing going to school is hard enough without a whopping great big polar bear showing up on her balcony… so how on earth is she supposed to live with him?Causing immediate chaos by lying in the middle of the road, burying himself amongst the fish fingers in the frozen food freezers in the supermarket and making too much noise bear-boogieing, he doesn’t get off to the best start at fitting in to Ruby’s already-chaotic life. Thinking he’s more trouble than he’s worth, Ruby tries desperately to run away from Mister P, lose him and not claim that he’s hers but that’s to no avail as he always ends up returning back to Ruby… and sometimes to a friendly neighbour who just loves feeding him his fish fingers.Luckily for her, Mister P – full of patience and paws-itivity – has a most charming, calming and characteristic knack for bringing families together, all without opening his mouth or saying a word. Ruby is a keen skateboarder and it’s amazing to see her attitude change towards Mister P throughout the story as he becomes not only a big part of her family, but a big part of her heart. The best kind of company. The missing puzzle piece.Embracing themes and values of empathy, tolerance, acceptance, diversity and children with additional needs and young carers in the most considerate, gentle and attentive of ways; this is a series of stories that goes from strength to strength with a big bear and an even bigger heart that do more than break the ice.Highly recommended for all, especially families as this series makes for a perfect shared reading experience. Through these books, not only do main characters Arthur (in Me and Mister P) and Ruby become better siblings or better friends but they also become better people, thanks to the intervention of Mister P. The same could be said of the readers, both young and old, who read this book and who will empathise and resonate almost instantly with the larger-than-life characters and situations within its pages.Mr E is most definitely a huge fan of Mister P!