something special

by Emily Rodda, Noela Young (Illustrator)

The clothes kept coming. The fete was on Saturday, and the clothes kept coming.

In the spare room, the room with the stained-glass windows, the second-hand clothes hang in rows, stirring in the late afternoon sunlight. They are to be sold on Sam's mother's stall at the school fete on Saturday. Sam walks through the rows, brushing velvety sleeves, touching lace, sensing their magic and history.

Sam knows that some of the clothes are Special. Her mother has told her so. But she's soon to find out just how Special they really are.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

50 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Emily Rodda (real name Jennifer Rowe) was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1973 with an MA (Hons) in English Literature. Moving into a publishing career, first as a book editor, and finally as a publisher at Angus & Robertson, Rodda's first book was published in 1984.

Reviews

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming tale, reminiscent of a Blyton magic tale.

[Meegz Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3 Stars*

Copy kindly received from Harper Collins Australia for an honest review.

I grabbed this because I remembered the name Emily Rodda from when I was in school, and I thought this might be interesting to read. I can see how for a child it would be great, but I think as an adult it didn't hit the spot. It was quick and easy, and definitely has that fantasy/magicky feel to it, so I'm sure that plenty of kids love reading this. Things just hit differently as an adult sometimes I think. Would recommend for primary school aged children.

Follow me on:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
The Storygraph

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting up for a school days, Sam finds rows and rows of secondhand clothes hanging in rows- how of these clothes are Special. Sam encounters many people in her community and their stories of Special clothes items.
.
Something Special is re-published for its 40 year anniversary. Something Special was Emily Rodda’s debut novel (has now authored over 90 books!).
.
I loved reading this little classic- some of the language reminds me of books read to me as a child. The sketches included bring the story to life. This is a perfect read for any young reader who enjoys a sweet read but has understanding about the development of language in books. I love this republished edition introduces a classic read to a new generation of readers.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Emily Rodda so much. This was such a cute and sweet story. It is definitely for a young audience. It's simple, nothing fancy, but heartwarming all the same. Give yourself a couple hours and read it.

[vio · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, quick story about clothes and memories.

[Claire-Elizabeth Ramson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book. Unfortunately it says "comer" instead of "corner". I noticed this on 3 separate occasions.

[Lync Lync · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful gentle and compassionate ghost story