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Tales of Northwick
George, Brian and Sanders, John
Published by Nystagmus Network, 2001
Northwick (named after Northwick Park Hospital, where he was won in a raffle) is a bear. He is a bear who wears glasses and can only read close-up, and until he goes to live with Frank, he is lonely. Both he and Frank have Nystagmus (or 'Nice Agnes' as it sounds like to Northwick), and this accounts for the fact that their eyes move very quickly and that their sight is affected. These nine stories begin with our not realising the full implications of Nystagmus, but gradually, as Frank (and Northwick) go to school, have a trip to the seaside, learn to use a computer, experience other children's teasing, and participate in a school concert (which makes Frank's eyes go very wobbly indeed), we learn much more about what Nystagmus means to children. The tone is light and warmly funny, as are the soft pencil illustrations, and while there is a lot of text, children will enjoy having these stories read aloud. Those with Nystagmus will readily relate to Frank and Northwick. The last two chapters contain some brief and useful information about Nystagmus worked into the story. The book (A4 in size and in large-ish print) is available from: www.nystagmusnet.org
Age: 4+