One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List
One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List Tricia Seabolt, illustrated by Lucy Rogers Lantana
Ten-year-old Ellie Anderson (who has Down’s syndrome) anticipates having the best summer ever. She loves hanging with her big brother, 15-year-old Ben though of late he’s been paying her less attention on account of soccer and his stock-taking job. Now he’s become even more preoccupied with new neighbour, Sara, even inviting her on outings Ellie thought were special for her brother and herself – their nature hike and the Ability Centre (AC) dance, for instance. She feels like she’s losing Ben.
Things get even worse when her best friend, Ling, claims that according to her list Ben and Sara are getting married, That means they will move away forever. Ling’s list has six steps including hand-holding and kissing; Ben and Sara are working their way through these steps and when they reached step three, it’s panic stations. The two friends start operation stop Sara and Ben’s wedding at all costs, either that or Ben could end up as a Hawaii husband. It’s impossible not to be amused at what Ellie and Ling get up to as, list in hand, they track him.
They begin training to enable them to use the treehouse in Ellie’s garden to scare Sara so much she never comes near again. However Ellie finds herself carrying out the plan by herself, things go wrong, people’s feelings are hurt and Ellie herself feels terrible. Moreover she doesn’t even get to help Ben when he DJs at her AC dance, though she does help her magician Dad at the event.
But nothing else seems to work out right and Ellie ends up endangering the weeping willow tree in her garden she loves so much. With so much at stake, can she possibly find a way to rekindle her brother’s affection toward her as well as save her favourite tree from being cut down?
There is so much to love about this book: Ellie is such an endearing character with her extra sparkle: she is artistic and full of life despite having to cope with speech difficulties and ‘wobbly spaghetti’ muscles. Her family members, particularly Ben, are very supportive and her friendship with Ling is really heartwarming. Indeed the whole story, with Lucy Rogers’ superbly expressive illustrations, is one that deserves to be read widely. At the back of the book author Tricia Seabolt gives information about Down’s syndrome and various therapies that enable people who are neurodivergent to flourish.
