Let me tell you, when I got to THAT bit near the end where I realised the crossover between this and one of JW's earlier books... I got very nerdily excited about all of the characters existing in the same JW universe! I don't exactly know why this surprises and delights me so much; maybe because I've been on such a journey with her books in the last 6 months and to see a connection made between 2 books written by JW 20 years apart felt really lovely. To see these 2 other characters flourishing in adulthood was just wonderful, and the way they've supported Tina in this too. M.A. Bennett introduces The Mona Lisa Mystery (The Butterfly Club) for ReadingZone, and reads from a chapter of the book : This is a story of a triplet namely, Tina, Phil and Maddie. Phil and Maddie look identical but Tina looked a lot different. They are bigger and stronger than Tina. They both always took care of teeny tiny Tina. Tina has never been alone to any where, not even in the school. They were always together. Phil and Maddie thought that it is their responsibility to look after Tina and to protect her from the school bullies. Seeing Ruby act as she always wanted too was such a treat and seeing Garnet flourish in her own camera-shy way behind the scenes and making a name for herself via producing/script writing was brilliant. They are both truly still the personalities of Ruby & Garnet from when they were young in 'Double Act'. I thought it was also great seeing that there was also more that meets the eye to Miss Lovejoy, like she seemed really mean, unfair and hard-hearted at first, but started to show just how nice she actually could be.

As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children's Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children's Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame.What kinds of adventures have the children already had with the Butterfly Club? Are they all inspired by true events and real figures from history? Dapo Adeola, Tracy Darnton, Joseph Coelho and Chitra Soundar are among the 19 authors and illustrators longlisted for the Inclusive Books for Child... The Butterfly Club is a really good book and a really good story on making new friends. With some nice and mean characters. It is a really good animal story too with lots of illustrations. But will small Tina be able to cope with mean Selma and Kay-Leigh, will Mrs Lovejoy easy down on Tina or will she just have to fend for herself for the next year. My personal favourite part is when Bully Selma takes a rough turn, will it stay permanently that way. Another part is when her Mum gets a bit worried about the beginning of the Butterfly garden, will Tina and Selma be able to raise enough money to get all the flowers for there garden? What will happen to all there hard work… One sad part is when Tina’s sisters Philippa and Madeline will not except Selma as part of their life. Tina`s just about to give up all her hope on the butterfly garden when the first one appears but will Tina still carry on believing that more Butterflies will come or shall she just give up! Find out in this brilliant book. The time thieves have already been to 1912 to witness the sinking of the Titanic, and to 1922 to see the excavation of Tutankhamun from the Valley of the Kings. The series takes as its subject very well-known events, but largely unknown heroes.

I loved writing Harry Houdini. I think he relished a challenge, and in this book I've given him the most difficult art heist in history. The Louvre Museum was like a fortress - in fact its director actually boasted that it would be easier to steal the towers of Notre Dame than a painting from the walls of the Louvre. As a rule I love Jacqueline Wilson books and virtually anything she writes, but sadly this isn't one that translates well when reading as an adult. When Miss Lovejoy asks them to help her create a butterfly garden in the school playground, Tina discovers she doesn't always need her sisters - and that there's a lot more to Selma than first meets the eye.

Retailers:

The Butterfly Club is about a girl called Tina who is a triplet. Her two sisters are called Phil and Maddie (short for Philippa and Madeleine). Tina is asked to create a butterfly garden in the school grounds by her teacher, Miss Lovejoy. But she has to do it with a mean, bossy bully called Selma. Over time, Tina and Selma become friends and they go round to each other's houses. However, when Tina goes to Selma's flat for tea one night, she finds out that Selma has a mean stepfather who shouts at and bullies her. Tina realises that that might be the reason why Selma was so bad to her earlier. The book does, however, have a really happy ending. Miss Lovejoy was the best character, she is the kind of teacher that everyone needs and wants - firm so you grasp everything in the lesson and damn right caring for her class. She goes out of her way like no teacher I have ever heard of, from visiting Tina with a present/get well cards/catch up lesson supplies when Tina had pneumonia, to helping her make a friend with another girl Selma who needed a friend and something positive to focus on. This was so so sweet, not only did the girls create a lovely butterfly garden to help wildlife and the planet, but Miss Lovejoy helped Tina bloom by herself and stand up to people and she let Selma feel loved and proud of herself and stopped her lashing out at people. What great book , the cover is beautiful you can get it as present for little girl, the pics are funny and very nicely done. When the book arrived my two boys fought over it, one read couple chapters ,then the other read some. but my younger one stopped reading because he is more into action and he is fussy about what to read( and I think it was longer than he can handle, he is 6). But my 8 year old loved it , he said it was funny and great read. Overall it's very feel-good, although this is the first time I've come across the mention of iPads and Monster High in a JW book which felt strange - crossing over into the next generation of younger readers! There was also something very modern and self aware in the way the triplets' mum tries to get them to see a different perspective on Selma's fractured home life; I found this an important lesson to be incorporated into the book.

As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children’s Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children’s Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. it was, uh... hm. i liked parts of it. the triplets' story and tina's medical issues were handled well. when does jacqueline wilson not handle difficult subjects well?The club meets in secret every Thursday at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the home of time. Their work is based on a very brainy scientific idea which states that everything is connected - that the flap of a butterfly's wing in Mexico can start a tornado in Texas. It's called the Butterfly Effect and it suggests that a very tiny change can have a very big result. So it's a warning really - if the time-thieves change too much when they travel they might alter the whole of history - which of course, they do! Our shows involve a single performer or small cast, go for 50-60 minutes, have no interval, and rely on clever writing and confident delivery to convey the artist's message. The content of every show is entirely at your discretion, and we make no secret of having a soft spot for cabaret performances that satirise or reflect on contemporary life. Get in touch The characters in the story are crafted very thoughtfully. Mrs. Lovejoy is my favorite character in the story. In the beginning, I hated her for being so strict with students. She didn't give permission to triplet to seat together but as I read further, I understood Mrs. Lovejoy better. She has a purpose to it. In the beginning, I felt that the story was moving at a slow pace but later on it became very interesting. M.A. Bennett's The Mona Lisa Mystery is a gripping time-travel adventure story that takes us to the Louvre at the turn of the century, and the theft of what was, at that time, a little-known painting... The Mona Lisa! M.A. Bennett tells us about the true historical events, and the people, that helped inspire this and her earlier Butterfly Club books. At the end of the book, there are few exercises for kids to do such as- tips to make your own butterfly garden, a recipe of Tina and Selma's butterfly cakes, a life-cycle of a butterfly and an information about few species of different butterflies. Children can visit www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk for games, puzzles and more fun activities.