Lula and the Rainbow Rocket [Paperback]

From the Spinal Injuries Association U.K:

Hazel is a former occupational therapist who worked in London and the Netherlands before she retired. She has written for pleasure since her early teens but it is only now she has ventured into print with her first novel for young people.

The book is about Lula, an 11-year-old spinal cord injured girl, who has to cope with quite a lot in her non-disabled world. Not only does she have to adjust to life after her accident, but she is badly bullied by a girl at school.

As there are so few books written that feature wheelchair users, SIA staff were keen to read and review this book. We also thought we should ask a couple of children for their viewpoint!

As adult readers we found Lula just too perfect and too mature for an 11 year old. She copes with everything so well, gets her own back on the school bully without doing anything despicable herself and is secure in her faith, her life and her emotions. Very irritating!

Our nine-year-old reviewer loved the story but needed help to read it as the language is quite adult.

The story is not gloomy; in fact it's funny and quite exciting at times as Lula develops a great relationship with her neighbour, Mr. Humming, who has a range of magical items and skills which he is happy to share with her. This magic helps Lula to outwit her enemies and have some adventures along the way.

We think the addition of some professional illustrations throughout the book, would enhance the story considerably and help target the appropriate age group.

There is definitely a place in children's literature for a novel like this, giving strong and positive role models to other SCI children and if any reader of `Forward' has a child of the appropriate age we would encourage you to get a copy. -- `Forward' magazine, April 2010

Lula's an exceptionally talented girl who is into everything. She is especially good at sports and longs to be brilliant at all she does. Unfortunately, she is reckless about her own safety. While trying her hand at something new, she has a nasty accident and becomes disabled. Despite being in a wheelchair, Lula's pluck, strength of character and faith help her to make a remarkable recovery. When Lula warns a lonely and eccentric old man that the school bully and her gang are about to plunder his garden shed, he lends her something with an extraordinary power. Lula and the bully find themselves thrown together in a magical land where there's no end of suspense and excitement. But will they ever get home again? For more interesting information, see the Lula website: www.lularocket.com Also available as an E-book. This funny, magical and inspiring adventure story is written by an occupational therapist. Lula is a fantastic role-model. Very exciting - this book is a really good read!

I wrote `Lula and the Rainbow Rocket' for children with the ages 8-12 in mind, but I've since heard that young adults and beyond enjoy reading it. So far, Lula's oldest fan is a gentleman of 88!

Readers like Lula's extraordinary enthusiasm and say she is a wonderful role model for youngsters with or without disabilities.
They say my book is uplifting, interesting and magical, full of zany humour, and lovable and not-so-lovable characters. A brilliant book!
I am delighted!

Hazel Boomkamp-Lee was born and educated in England. After training and qualifying in London, she worked as an occupational therapist in London and in the Netherlands. After retiring from occupational therapy several years ago, she continued with her hobby of teaching English as a foreign language to Dutch adults and individual school children. Like many a future writer, Hazel Boomkamp-Lee was not only an avid reader as a child, but also composed articles and poems. One of her articles about "good manners" won her a bone china tea-set at the age of twelve. Later she came second in a regional poetry competition when she was in her teens. The words, "You are a poet, Hazel," said by her teacher at the time, Benet Weatherhead, inspired her to have a shot at writing in her later years.

Excerpt:

I expect, by now, you are imagining Lula's knees buckling under the weight of her big head. Well, surprisingly, they weren't. Lula Lampet wasn't a big head. True, she longed to be brilliant at everything she did and she often thought there was nothing she couldn't do brilliantly, but she kept that to herself. Lula's personality was mostly sunny and upbeat and she was kind to everyone. Nor did she swear very often. At least, not awful words. Once, when she was ill with chickenpox, her mother had smothered her spots in calamine lotion, and told her to stay in bed and not scratch, and that had made Lula swear terribly, but perhaps that was understandable. Lula hated being away from school, and Sunday school, and the sports' field. She had to be where things were happening -- and preferably where a ball needed bouncing.

However, there was one very serious downside to this whizz-kid's sporting successes. Unfortunately, this enthusiastic young athlete, being so absorbed in whatever game she was playing, would totally overlook her own safety. Lula's mother was forever having to stock the medicine cupboard with bottles of iodine, plasters, bandages and slings of every kind and, after a particularly boisterous game, her gym teacher and sports club coach could often be seen rummaging through their first-aid kits for something to wrap round wounded parts of Lula's anatomy. Lula was often hurt; a slightly bent nose and a sewn-up chin were permanent reminders of her first attempt at boxing. But despite her wounds, this feisty young athlete would always show up (except when she had chicken pox), sometimes hobbling but always eager, at the next sports event a day or two later.

"Nothing's going to floor me!" she always said.

Travel was another of Lula's interests. She was riveted by everything to do with it. And she loved animals and plants. Secretly, she longed to tread in the footsteps of Dr David Livingstone and other intrepid explorers, slicing her way through lush, dripping jungles and trudging across golden, sun-baked plains. Sometimes she daydreamed about sailing the seven seas as cabin girl on board a magnificent Spanish galleon. She would close her eyes and prick her globe with a pin. Then she would study the country or sea she had landed on, gleaning as much information as she could from the internet and library books.

That afternoon, her imagination had yet again been aroused, this time by a programme on TV about mountaineering, boggling her young and active mind with wonderful thoughts. Picturing herself as a brilliant mountain climber, Lula knew she needed to have a go at it, and as soon as possible!

After gobbling down her dinner (deaf to her mother's cries of `chew between mouthfuls!'), Lula dashed to her computer and began searching the internet for everything to do with mountaineering. After scribbling some notes, she realised that having an instruction manual would be helpful. Undoubtedly, the public library would have one, but (rats!) it was closed for the day -- she'd have to wait until tomorrow.

That night, as the full moon glowed eerily over her house, Lula dreamed about cheerful climbers in anoraks and bobble hats, igloo tents on snow-capped peaks, and her being the youngest-ever climber to stick her country's flag on some newly discovered summit. Thoughts of receiving a medal from the Queen and having tea at the Palace made her chuckle as she fell into a deep sleep.