Street Kid Fights On
By Judy Westwater
Harper Collins

There are some people with an instinct to survive and get on with it even when life throws you a lemon. Judy Westwater is such a person. She is an inspiration to all those who have had it tough and saw no hope.

As a child she was trapped inside an abusive home where she was abused by both her father and stepmother, abandoned by her mother and bereft of any love or normality. Kicked out of home at 11, she was forced to take care of herself on the streets of apartheid South Africa. On the streets she was twice raped.

She fled South Africa to England where she stumbled upon a life as a performer doing dare devil stunts. There she met her first husband, who sadly was more abusive than her father. She had two children with him before leaving and heading back to South Africa to try and find a place in the world for her family. Sadly, tragedy followed her and through years of struggling, misfortune and living hand to hand until she finally found her feet.

As soon as she was able to get ahead financially she saved and, instead of spending her new-found meagre savings on herself, as most of us would be inclined to do, she opened a drama school for under-privileged children. She had a burning desire to help kids so that they would not need to go through what she had. From this first school, she has gone on to open numerous schools in South Africa and helps countless of young children weave a path different to her own.

She is an incredible example of someone who has faced the toughest times, experienced the extremes of cruelty and come out positive, and not in the least bit resentful or jaded, but full of hope for how her own dire experiences can be turned around to help others.

Her story is inspiring. She is an incredible example of how, no matter what happens to you or how bad life can get, your spirit, if you allow it to be strong enough, can not be broken.

BB rating: 10/5!

The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian
By C.S. Lewis
Harper Collins

We all know and love the Chronicles of Narnia Series. As usual you can expect a journey of anticipation and adventure. Prince Caspian the fourth and newly appointed addition to the series is one of the most nail biting stories yet!

With the return of much loved characters; Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund the story contrasts the reality of school children and the mystical world of Narnia where the animals talk and magical things always seem to happen.

This story begins in a very real train station where Lucy feels a tug, followed by the rest of the clan. They are immediately catapulted into the overgrown wood near the sea close to the ruins of their former castle, Cair Paravel.

To much dismay something goes terribly wrong. What once was their home has been broken down and everything seems silent, empty and abandoned. After being confronted by Dwarf, they learn that the fate of Narnia is under the grip of King Miraz's evil ways. Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan assist Prince Caspian who is the Kings nephew with the help of Aslan, to fight for the kingdom and restore its happiness!

BB rating: 4/5