Welcome to Silver Street Farm

Description

Some farms are up in the hills ... or down long, winding lanes ... but Silver Street Farm is different - it's right in the middle of a town! Meera, Gemma and Karl have always dreamed of a farm of their own, and when Meera discovers an abandoned railway station called Silver Street it seems like their dream might one day come true. But events happen quicker than the children could ever have expected - some eggs they thought were off surprisingly hatch into fluffy ducklings, some poodles bought on the internet turn out to be lambs, and soon Silver Street Farm is up and running. The news of a city farm spreads like wildfire and the council try to shut it down - but the good citizens of Lonchester are determined to save it, and, thanks to a friendly policeman and some singing supporters, Silver Street Farm survives - with several additions including a dog that herds chickens and some sweet but stubborn goats. The first in a charming series of fun-filled animal adventures on Silver Street Farm.

Nicola Davies is a zoologist who has produced and presented radio and TV programmes, including The Really Wild Show. Her books for children include Poo, Extreme Animals and Ice Bear, as well as Gaia Warriors, a book for young people about climate change in collaboration with distinguished scientist and writer James Lovelock. She was nominated for the Branford Boase award for her novel Home and is also the author of Up on the Hill. Nicola lives in Abergavenny, Wales.

Written in short, easy to read chapters and pleasantly illustrated by Katherine McEwen, this is effective wish-fulfilment stuff, in a multicultural urban setting. There are three more titles in the series for children who like it, as many surely will. -- Nicholas Tucker * The Independent on Sunday *