Jack Splash
Tom Daley (with Simon James Green), illustrated by Luna Valentine
Scholastic

Jack, whose parents have separated, lives with his dad and does his best to live up to the sporting expectations he thinks his father, a diving coach, has. To that end he joins the AquaDucks, a diving squad, despite having a fear of drowning and hating heights. he’d much rather be spending his time on his hobby – knitting. Unsurprisingly Jack (the story’s narrator) is the worst member of the diving team but then to his surprise he performs well in an event.

Fortunately for him, a rather unusual boy named Billy joins his year 5 class. Billy, a great swimmer, is more than willing to share some diving tips with Jack. Despite the new boy’s strangeness, Jack takes a liking to him.’He seemed to sparkle – like fun and joy just shone out of him. Maybe he was just what this dull, wet little town needed,’ he tells readers. With Billy as a motivational force, perhaps Jack’s luck is about to change. He certainly has an opportunity to improve his diving and thus please his dad, but more important, through his new friend, he comes to understand what being a member of a team really means. (Supporting fellow team members through their ups and downs is a vital life skill to learn whichever sport a child participates in.)

Then, with the important regionals competition for the AquaDucks looming, Billy is kidnapped.
With the fate of a secret underwater world hanging in the balance, can Jack and the rest of the diving crew save the day? What is the importance of a ring that so many people want to have in their clutches, or rather on a finger?

As Jack discovers, winning a golden trophy is not the most important thing. Being part of a team and giving fellow members a second chance feels a lot like winning. As does being a great friend, and having your dad recognise it. And you never know, some friendships might just last forever.

With themes of friendship, teamwork and perseverance, this wonderful, gently humorous tale with a touch of fantasy, written in collaboration with Simon James Green, is full of really important messages for child readers, not least about standing up to bullying.. Equally, the book would make a terrific read aloud to a KS2 class; make sure you share Luna Valentine’s occasional black and white illustrations. I love the fact that knitting plays an important role in the story.

Also featuring knitting as a pastime:

Stitched Up
Joanne O’Connell
Macmillan Children’s Books

Cassie, the book’s narrator, loves vintage fashion but when she starts at Silverdale High School she makes friends with Azra, who is obsessive about fashion labels. Very quickly she feels under pressure to fit in, which means changing her interests to current trends rather than fashion history. Then, thanks to her neighbour, she joins a local knitting group, The Knitwits. There, in what feels more like a big family set up, she’s able to embrace her passion and be herself, while also keeping up appearances in school. (Anybody who is into knitting will enjoy the knitting element with the descriptions of patterns and stitches, and it may even encourage other readers to embrace a new hobby.)

When Cassie, eco-warrior Fern and Azra are tasked with redesigning the school uniform, Cassie feels conflicted, and finds that she’s having to lead a double life, particularly when Azra begins to ask questions. Torn between proclaiming her new passion and keeping it under wraps, things are far from easy. Can she keep this crazy double life from unravelling entirely?

With vital life lessons about being true to oneself and standing up for your beliefs and what is important to you, this is a story that will appeal to readers slightly below and above Cassie’s age particularly those who enjoy using second-hand clothing shops and believe strongly in upcycling, though the author uses a gently humorous style that never feels preachy.