Emily's review
Have you heard of Floella Benjamin? She persevered to become a Dame.

Floella Benjamin was a little girl who lived in Trinidad. Floella worked with an illustrator, Diane Ewen, to tell the astonishing story of Floella’s life, travelling from Trinidad to arriving in England. I learnt that England didn’t welcome Floella and her family but she didn’t give up. 

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.

This is a good book for all ages. The detailed pictures add to the powerful story. Reading this will inspire people to try their hardest and achieve like Floella.

Geraldine's review
As you open the book, all of the vibrant colours shine at you. The colour drew me in to a different life.

The author has many problems. She moves from colourful Trinidad to a dull England to join her Marmie and Dardie who went to London for work. She feels unwelcome, she doesn’t know what an escalator or a telephone is for. She experiences discrimination. Her ambition is to meet the Queen. She works hard to settle in her new home. One day, she achieves her dream! Now she works to help other people at the House of Lords.

The book shows children (of all ages) that they should follow their dreams.

Harry's review
How did Floella Benjamin become a Dame?

Floella was a hard working person who was brave enough to travel across time zones, spending fifteen days on a boat, whilst doing a handful of chores. As her boat arrived at Southampton from Trinidad, she wanted to be a welcomed visitor but London wasn’t very welcoming. She was confused by the fast underground trains and moving staircases but worse than that, people weren’t very kind. She persevered though. Eventually she settled in, and made good friends at school.

Floella’s ambition was always to meet the Queen. When she was all grown up, she did. She became Dame Floella, working in the House of Lords to help others.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys autobiographical stories about life. Like me!

Miriam's review
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.  

Holly's review
I think Coming to England is brilliant because it’s based on Floella Benjamin’s life.

Her story really has power. The young Floella wants to meet the Queen, little does she know, she will grow up to meet the Queen!

I loved the colourful illustrations showing life in Trinidad and less colourful ones in England. I would recommend this book to everyone: 10 out of 10.

Ariella's review
How did a little girl called Floella meet the Queen?

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.

This book is great fun to read. There are so many lovely colours in the pictures. Everyone will enjoy it!

Eddie's review
Your book inspired me.

I loved the look of Trinidad, the spectacular, vibrant colours. I felt sad when the colours changed in England and your classmates called you names.

I liked reading about your journey to England, I went on a ferry to France. It lasted for a night, not fifteen days!

I would like to know more about your wicked Auntie. You did not describe her enough. I also want to know more about how you became a politician in the House of Lords. I’m pleased you met the Queen. How excited were you?

Thank you for an amazing book.

James's review
I think Coming to England is a great book. The story tells us about the author, Floella Benjamin’s troubles, as she perseveres and one day meets the Queen.

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. 

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.

Isla's review
Are you aware of Floella Benjamin’s amazing story?

I was inspired by this book. I felt sympathy and happiness for Floella. I was intrigued by the differences, including the tropical climate, in Trinidad – the opposite to cold England. I was amazed that her dad was a jazz musician. Her ambition and desire to meet the Queen was astonishing.

I learnt that the time zones changed as people sailed to England to find work. Floella took every opportunity, tried her best, worked hard and, as she became a politician in the House of Lords, she met the Queen!

The illustrations and descriptions are really memorable. My recommendation would be for all infants and juniors. KS3 might enjoy it too!

Gabriella's review
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. 

Isabelle's review
Do you know the story of how Floella Benjamin became a Dame?

Coming to England is a true story of how Floella Benjamin met the Queen. She came to England for a new life and achieved her goals. She was an ambitious child who never gave up.  I thought she would meet the Queen one day but I would have liked an extra page in the book to explain how this happened. She is now a Dame in the House of Lords, inspiring other people. I would like to know more about her adult life.

Life in England was very different for Floella. Her brother thought it would be as cold as a giant iceberg. It wasn’t but she thought the escalators were moving stair cases. At school, the other children hadn’t seen black children before and, at first, they didn’t want to play. But they soon made friends.  

I recommend this picture book to everyone. The vivid illustrations work so well with the writing. You can tell that Floella and Diane Ewen, the illustrator, worked closely together to recreate Floella’s world, making me feel as though I was there with her.

Charlotte's review
Coming to England is a picture book about the life of Floella Benjamin.  Reading it will tell you about how she achieved her dream.

Floella’s illustrator, Diane Ewen, shades the differences between Trinidad and London, showing Floella’s inner life and making things visual for her readers. There are lots of new things for everyone to learn about: Trinidad, the House of Lords and the British Empire. As her dad wanted to be a Jazz musician, I learnt about the music side of things too!

The story gives a picture of moving to a new country. It’s not always plain sailing…

Logan's review
How did Floella Benjamin become a working peer, working at the House of Lords?

When Floella was a young girl, she travelled for 15 days on a boat from Trinidad to Southampton in England. This book tells her story.

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.

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.

Cameron's review
It was OK but one of the pages was nice. The dad got a job in England so two of the boys and two of the girls and one mum went to England. To be with family [who lived] in Trinidad. It was quite exciting. The kids packed their bags and went on a boat to England, the boat was big. I did like the book because it was colourful. I didn’t really like the story so I didn’t have a favourite character. I recommend this book from 6 – 7 and older to 9. 

Star Rating: 2 out of 4.

Teighan's review
Do you know how many days it took in 1960 to travel to grey, dark England from vibrant, warm Trinidad?

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.

Floella Benjamin was born in Trinidad. She left her wicked auntie behind and sailed for fifteen days on a skyscraper ship to join her Marmie and Dardie who had gone to England to find work.  London wasn’t very welcoming but Floella was determined to meet the Queen. 

Floella adapted to everything, including the weather. She made friends, worked very hard and became a politician. So, one day, she achieved her dream of meeting the Queen.  I would like to know more about Floella’s life. Was her auntie really wicked? If so, what did she do?

Taz's review
Do you know how a young girl, Floella Benjamin, one day became a Dame and met the Queen?

Read this fascinating story to find out. Diane Ewen’s illustrations are powerful. The images change from vibrant colours in Trinidad to duller colours in London. There aren’t many words but the book creates memorable pictures in your imagination. I liked the wonderful description of the ship as a floating skyscraper. Without her mother, Floella had to grow up quickly to cope with the long journey.

The book told me about the British Empire and about why people came to England from the other side of the world. I empathised with Floella’s worries about moving somewhere new with new people. It must have been hard too, to cope with the change of climate. London was cold and the people were cold as well. Being happy with her family again, helped her cope with the discrimination, she settled in and it felt like home.

I would recommend this book. It is a very powerful picture book for all ages.

Polly's review
Do you know about the girl who met the Queen?

If you do not know about Floella Benjamin, here is a great way to meet her. By reading her book, Coming to England, you really get to know her large family.

This book is about her life as a little girl who came to England.  She always had a lot of ambition. In the book she says, “I dreamt of meeting the Queen.” She came from a very positive family; as they say in the book, “We have been invited to go to England!” They were among many people who went to work in England.

At the time, Floella was a child in Trinidad, everybody there believed life in England was great.  Now, many people in England would love to live on a tropical island! In the book, Floella always looked confident, but was she really?

Even though Floella was discriminated against as a child, she kept her ambition, “I still dreamt of meeting the Queen.” She never let things get her down. I think Floella is happy that she migrated to England: otherwise, she would not be a Dame, a politician working in the House of Lords. And, she yes, did meet the Queen!

I recommend this book to all ages. It is a picture book which makes everyone think…

Yusrah's review

• Did you enjoy the book? Explain your answer if it is yes or no. Yes. Moving to England was not easy.
• Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why? Floella. She told me a lot of interesting things about England.
• Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why? The mean aunt. She did not let Floella and Sandra play.
• What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you? Yes. I live in England but the story was set way before I was born.
• Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)? At first it was sad because Floella’s dad had to leave. Then their mum left and they were babysat by their evil aunt. It was happy when the family got together again.
• What most stands out for you from the book? When Floella was older her dream came true and she got to meet the Queen.
• Would you recommend it to other children? Yes.
• Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story? I learnt that meeting new people is very hard but you always have to keep going and never give up.

Abelina's review                                                

• Did you enjoy the book? Explain your answer if it is yes or no. Yes. Floella’s family slowly broke apart and slowly came back to together. I enjoyed how Floella meets the Queen at the end.
• Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why? Floella’s father. I have never read a book where the father wants to be a jazz musician.
• Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why? I liked all the characters, especially Floella’s father.
• What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you? I had never learnt anything about this history before.
• Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)? There was not much of a plot but it was exciting how they slowly moved to England.
• What most stands out for you from the book? Floellla’s new school did not know about Black people.
• Would you recommend it to other children? Yes.
  Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story? No because I think it is a book for beginners.

Faeza's review

• Did you enjoy the book? Explain your answer if it is yes or no. Yes. Floella got to meet the Queen when she was older.
• Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why? Dardie. He played the saxophone.
• Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why? Floella’s new classmates. They called her names.
• Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)? Sad. Floella was bullied.
• What most stands out for you from the book? Floella and her family coming to England.
• Would you recommend it to other children? Yes. Floella was bullied by her classmates but later she became friends with them.

Ebonie's review

• What is the book about? A little girl from Trinidad moves to England to be with her family in London. A little girl called Floella.
• Who are the main characters? A little girl called Floella
• Where is the story set? Trinidad and England
• What did you like about this book? I wanted there to be Islands
• Star Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

Ruby's review

• What is the book about? A little girl from Trinidad moves to England to be with her family in London
• Who are the main characters? A little girl called Floella
• Where is the story set? Trinidad and England
• What did you like about this book? I liked the island it was warm
• Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jacob's review

• Which of the characters did you find most interesting and why? Jacob liked Dardie the best because “he could play the saxophone.”
• Which of the characters (if any) did you dislike and why? Jacob said he didn’t like Mardie because “she left the children behind.”
• What made the history or the time it was set interesting? Jacob said he liked the book “my teacher sent me this because we are learning about different people.”  
• What most stands out in this book? “When she went to the new school, the children didn’t like her because she had black skin and the others had white.”
• Would you recommend this book? Jacob said “Miss Worrall will like this book because we are learning about different skin colours at school.”
• Did you learn any new words or facts from this book? Jacob said he didn’t know the word Trinidad. “I know England though because that is where we live.”
• Is there anything you did not like about this book? Jacob said “I didn’t like it when the people at school were mean.”

Robyn's review

• Which of the characters did you find most interesting and why? I found Floella most interesting because she wanted to be the queen.
• Which of the characters (if any) did you dislike and why? I didn’t like the children who were unkind to Floella.
• Did you learn anything new from this book? That Trinidad used to be part of Britain [a colony].
• What made the history or the time it was set interesting? Floella meeting the queen. 
• Was the plot exciting, thought provoking, serious or light hearted? It was a serious, interesting book about Floella going to England.
• What most stands out in this book? Floella meeting the queen.
• Would you recommend this book? Yes, it is really interesting. 
• Did you learn any new words or facts from this book? Trinidad and “what is breadfruit?” 
• Is there anything you did not like about this book? I didn’t like the children who wouldn’t play with Floella.

Robin's review

• What is the book about? A little girl from Trinidad moves to England to be with her family in London
• Who are the main characters? A little girl called Floella
• Where is the story set? Trinidad and England
• What did you like about this book? I also liked the ending where her dream came true!

Logan's review

• What is the book about? A little girl from Trinidad moves to England to be with her family in London
• Who are the main characters? A little girl called Floella
• Where is the story set? Trinidad and England
• What did you like about this book? I liked the flying fish the children saw on the boat
• Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sahla's review

• Did you enjoy the book? Yes. Floella got to explore a new country and learn about different people.
• Which of the characters did you find most interesting? Why? Floella. She went into a lot of detail.
• Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why? I liked all the characters.
• What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you? The clothes in England. They were smart, classy and different.
• Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)? Exciting. Not only did Floella learnt about England, I did too!!
• What most stands out for you from the book? The part where it said no one had ever seen a Black person in the school.
• Would you recommend it to other children? Yes. Children can learn about England.
• Did you learn any new words or facts as a result of the story? Yes. Marmie. Dardie.