Coming to England: An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation

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It's got to be inspirational, beautiful and perfect. If you tell a story, it's got to be the best. Because remember, whatever they get first will stay with them forever. Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why?Floella. She told me a lot of interesting things about England. This book told me how important it is never to give up and always believe in yourself. Floella overcame many problems. She travelled on a floating house to England where people were unfriendly at school. After a while though, she made lots of friends and was happy. People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can now end self-isolation after 7 days with 2 negative lateral flow tests. Don't forget, childhood lasts a lifetime. Each child is born with one hundred billion brain cells and they are starting to be connected when the child is 18 months. Picture books formulate their ideas and those connections with what they are seeing and hearing - and that affects the make-up of who they will be as adults.

What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you?I had never learnt anything about this history before. I love the illustrator’s vibrant colours in the book when Floella’s talking about Trinidad and the way the colours change in England. Her changing schools’ moment is something I can empathise with.This book is exciting because their father goes to England and they go after him. While in Jamaica she dreamed of meeting the queen, which she did eventually when she was older. I enjoyed the bright colours in the illustrations and the fact that they tied in well with the text. When you arrive in England from abroad you do not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a UK passenger locator form. Since Name our Storms first launched in 2015 we have issued a new list of names each September. The list runs from early September to late August the following year, to coincide with the start of autumn and the end of summer, when we see the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for named storms increase. Why are we naming storms? We spoke to her about how she did it and why it's so important to get stories for children right... The author of this inspirational book is a girl who experienced the long journey. She tells her autobiography with the illustrator, Diane Ewen. There aren’t many words but the words and the pictures work together powerfully.

Children should be of all cultures in stories because that's the society we live in, and this is especially true of picture books. With non-illustrated books for older children you can imagine what you like. But in a picture book you must spell it out. From 22 October, if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, you will be able to book an antigen lateral flow device (LFD) test instead of a PCR for your ‘on arrival’ test.

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The naming of storms using a single authoritative system provides a consistent message and aids the communication of approaching severe weather through media partners and other government agencies. In this way the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe. Can I suggest a storm name? England wasn’t a giant iceberg as Floella’s brother said. It was cold but not that cold! Much colder and less colourful than Trinidad and getting around London was very different to getting around Trinidad. The escalators and underground trains were new to Floella and her family. I was sad that people were not very kind to them at first but they got through it. Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why?Floella’s new classmates. They called her names. The story of a young girl who did not lose hope fills me with admiration. She found a way to achieve her ambition. Her ambition led her to the House of Lords and the Queen! I would like to know more, I hope there’s a more detailed autobiography. You look at it holistically. I had to think very carefully about what I wanted very young children to know and grasp. Some of them know about moving to a new place, so they can understand the concept of moving. Some of them know about parents leaving, even if it's for a couple of weeks, so they know the emotional feeling that gives you.

From 24 February, there is no legal requirement to self-isolate if you get a positive day 2 test result. I like the artistic attention to detail, the bold colourful style with the Historical fashion and the big petticoat skirts. It is very visually engaging and I learnt about Colonialism and Windrush as well as Trinidadian life. Even though it did not hide from the depressing subject of Racism, I was cheered up by the optimistic ending and would like to read more by this author. I am probably older than the age this is aimed at, but I think it would appeal to all ages. Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story?No because I think it is a book for beginners. I would have liked some more detail about how Floella became successful. She wanted to meet the Queen and she did! I would like to know more about this. Is there anything you did not like about this book?I didn’t like the children who wouldn’t play with Floella.

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If you will arrive in England after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a UK passenger locator form.

We will only use names that have been officially designated by the National Weather Service in the US. Do other countries around the world use a similar system? If you began your journey in Ukraine, you do not need to complete a passenger locator form, or take a COVID-19 test before travel to England or on arrival.When Floella grew up, she met the Queen. She became a Dame. Today she works as a politician at the House of Lords, trying to influence all our lives for the better. Everyone should read her inspiring story. Coming to England – An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation by Floella Benjamin and illustrated by Diane Ewen is published by Macmillan Children's Books on 8 October. No, it was always an autobiographical story. In fact, when I wrote it at first it was twice as long and had to be edited to be so much shorter. So I didn't conceive it as a picture book until now. Was the plot exciting, thought provoking, serious or light hearted?It was a serious, interesting book about Floella going to England.