I had to read this in one sitting! As soon as I met Lily, I knew she was going to be special, though I didn’t understand the title at first. It soon makes sense and is entirely fitting for the story.
Lily has a stammer and dreads speaking out loud or in front of anyone, even her best friends. When a new class teacher arrives, Lily is worried about making a wrong impression. When her turn to speak comes, she gets stuck on his name, Mr Daley and some of her classmates laugh. This causes her to slip into her shell even more.
When a project and presentation is announced, Lily and her bestie Mia decide to work together. Mia is quite a force of nature in determining what is being planned and their roles. Lily just goes along with it but deep inside, she wants to play a bigger part in their presentation.
Lily, at home, has an older brother and divorced parents. Her dad and his wife live in Scotland and Lily’s brother is still angry over the divorce. He avoids their Dad and it is Lily who travels to be with them for half term. It is while she is away that her confidence grows and she finds her passion.
This is a phenomenal story about facing fears, embarrassment and family issues. Lily has to deal with a lot in her life on top of her stammer yet she does so with such admirable traits, and even though she is emotional at times, as a reader, we are right there with her!
Lily learns so much about herself throughout this story and the phrase Be More Hedgehog sticks with her as she works on building her confidence, breaking down barriers and making friends worth keeping.
You get drawn into Lily’s world and though she has a stammer, her voice rings true and clear with her passion for animals and nature.
Such an epic story! Perfect for classrooms and it would make for a brilliant class novel, used to build empathy and understanding!
My Shelves Are Full 
Thank you for this wonderful review of Hedgehog. It means a lot! 🦔🙏🏻🦔
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your review of this book – it’s certainly one I will look out for.
LikeLike