REVIEW: 'NeverSeconds' by David & Martha Payne

If you haven't heard about the NeverSeconds blog written by a young Scottish girl called Martha, then you've probably been hiding under a rock.  She hit the headlines when she decided to blog about her daily school dinners, and soon the whole world was talking about her. I followed the news stories and her blog with interest, and I have so much admiration for her that I was happy to buy her book (proceeds go to Mary's Meals) and learn the story from her father's point of view.

I recommend checking out the NeverSeconds  blog. It's incredibly inspiring.

What's it about?
Martha Payne was just 9 years old when she started NeverSeconds, a simple and honest blog about her school dinners. Within days the blog had gone viral, becoming one of the biggest news stories of the year. After 8 million blog hits and a notorious council-led banning, Martha has raised over £120,000 for her favourite charity, Mary's Meals.

What did I think of it? 
I found this book very addictive. It's told in her father's voice, with Martha's blog posts appearing between the narrative sections. The book begins with the reason Martha began her blog in the first place, and progresses through the development of the blog, the blog in the press, troubles with the council, Martha's difficulties at school, Mary's Meals, until the book closes with a very honest and moving description of the family's trip to Malawi with Mary's Meals to see how the money Martha raised was being used. 

The section in Malawi was wonderful to read, and it made me support Mary's Meals even more. It's a fantastic charity. I'm so glad I bought the book and also donated on their JustGiving page. If you want to find out more about Mary's Meals click here. If you want to donate to the NeverSeconds JustGiving Page in aid of Mary's Meal please click here. It costs just £10.70 to feed a child for a whole year, 6p a day and it costs just £7000 to add a kitchen to a school to allow Mary's Meals to feed the children. Martha has raised over $128000 which is phenomenal!   I think its a fantastic cause, so please take a look! 

What struck me most about this book is the family values and the relationships the Payne's have with not only their family but their friends. I loved learning about Martha acting just as a 9 year old should, and enjoying her childhood by not paying too much attention to the press and being more excited for Athletics club. It's wonderful to hear how the parents' always put their children first and wouldn't allow greed to become a motive. Everything they did was for their children and for the health of Scottish children, and the well being of children all over the world. This is delightfully shown when the family are invited to Noma, the world's best restaurant during the first weekend of the school summer holidays, David Payne really wants to go but Martha says she'd rather go camping with her grandparents which was the original plan. So that is what they do!

Sorry this is a waffley review, but it's hard to describe how warm inside this book made me feel. I really recommend Martha's blog and this book is a great accompaniment to the blog. 
  
Rating