KIDS BOOKS

Hello my name is May.I live in Kings Heath, Birmingham.

It’s a very nice community.I have lived in my house for 53 years.

Years ago there used to be a wool shop. Everybody used to knit in our day.

I still do.

How many balls of wool can you see? Can you think of things you can knit

with wool?

My earliest memory is my fi rst day at school. We had to walk all the way. There were no cars in those days.

When I was at infant school, the school was bombed. It closed so we had to go to a local

house for schooling. My best friend Babs, who lived over the road, died very young.

When I married my husband we moved into a house that had no hot water and

we had to go outside to use the toilet. I had given birth to twins and we had no money. I had to save to buy a pram. Life then was

much harder, but more enjoyable.

People today drop rubbish everywhere.In my day there were no take aways and

McDonald’s. If you dropped rubbish there would be trouble!

I’ve never felt lonely in Kings Heath.I have lots of friends in my neighbourhood.

Life today is fantastic.

Design & Illustration by Year 4 pupils in collaboration with Ian Richards & John Eddy at Heavy Object.

This book (part of a fi ve-part set) is the result of a two year

Creative Partnerships funded project with Year 4 staff and

children from Allens Croft Primary School, who worked in

collaboration with creative practitioners Ming de Nasty and

Ian Richards, in order to gather real-life stories from parents

and local residents, to support the literacy curriculum across

the school community.

Thanks to:

Year 4 children, their parents and the local school community

Year 4 Teacher (2009-10): Tara Harris

Year 4 Teachers (2010-11): Duncan Holman and Mary Greaney

Head Teacher: Johanne Clifton

Creative Practitioners: Ming de Nasty and Ian Richards

Creative Agent: Andrew Tims

Consultant to the National School of Creativity programme: Patricia Thomson