Judy Allen: SOMETHING RARE AND SPECIAL

Something rare and special is written by Judy Allen. First the story takes place in London and then Lyn and her mother move, to live near at her Grandmum and Grandpa. Place plays an important part in Judy Allens fiction as well, but nevertheless she never mentions the exact place. We only know they live near to their grandparents and they live on a beach up north.

"Mum, why do we have to move?" That`s an important question in Lyns life. She doesn`t really know why they have to move, because her mother doesn`t tell her importnt things. Fact, they have to move, because Lyns father has left them and now her mother couldn`t affort their flat. The Estate is cheaper than their flat, but her mother has to work full-time and so Lyns grandparents can look after her. Her mother is often too careful, although Lyn is 14. She neither tells Lyn that her father has married again and that he has a little baby!

After a while the day is come. Lyn and her mother have to move. First they drive to a house near the new flat and live there for some weeks, because in their new flat there somebody lives already. In the morning they arrive there. Lyn is shocking, because there is nothing, no shop, no cafe, and no bus. In the house they neither have a TV. Lyn doesn`t know what she can do there! On the next day Lyn looks around. On the beach there are a lot of dunes. Suddenly a man talks to her. Lyn is very surprised and runs away. Later the old man Mr. Parker tells her and her mother that the man is Bill Walker. He is bird.watching. In the next time Lyn goes very often with Bill bird-watching. He has binoculars to watch them better. Lyn is really delighted by Bill and the birds. There are a lot of kinds. She really likes it. One day Bill tells her that Mr. Parker has seen probably a Royal Tern, but Royal Terns normally live in America. So Lyn is bird-watching all the time. One afternoon they make a campfire and there Lyn gets her first own binoculars from Mr. Parker. Although this binoculars are old, but Lyn loves them. But one evening Lyns mum goes out with Bill and Lyn is very jealous, because Bill is her friend! So she doesn`t talk with them anyway. But nevertheless Bill talk to her, "I`m friendly with your mother doesn`t mean I`m not your friend, too

I think it`s a very sensitiv story. The story is written in long sentences and it wasn`t always easy to read it! Nevertheless you could learn a lot about birds! I Think the authoress want to say that when you have to move that isn`t the words-end and in this case the place is very deserted, but nevertheless Lyn find somebody and something to do. So the nature will be always a big adventure!