UEL Primary PGCE 2014-2015 discussion

‘Two weeks with the Queen’ tells the story of Colin Mudford who, when it is discovered that his younger brother Luke is dying of cancer, is sent away to stay with his Aunt and Uncle in London by his parents. Their intention is to try and shield him from the grim reality facing the family back home in Australia, but Colin thinks they’re just trying to get rid of him. He doesn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation and believes his brother will get better. At first, he doesn’t want to go, but eventually hatches onto a plan to meet the Queen of England and get her to send her Doctor over to Australia to save Luke.

Colin Mudford is a fantastically interesting character with a vivid imagination. To see the world through his eyes, with his humourous outlook on life and the observations he makes about the world around him, makes it an absorbing read. Initially, I thought the book would go down a fantasy route, but it is very much grounded in reality. Colin finds meeting the Queen isn’t as easy as he first assumed it would be, and is met by numerous setbacks and obstacles along the way.

Many of the themes touched upon in this book carry important underlying messages. The importance of hope, perseverance in the face of adversity, cherishing the time you have with loved ones, helping others less fortunate than you and acceptance of others are all invaluable lessons that can be passed onto the reader. I would say this book is more geared towards older primary school students aged around 10 as it tackles a host of issues which might not be suitable for younger students, such as bereavement, prejudice and coming to terms with losing loved ones.

The friendship Colin strikes with Ted in particular, a young man who himself is coping with a dying loved one is very poignant. It is revealed through the course of the book that Ted’s loved one is actually his boyfriend, who is dying from AIDS. This relationship is handled very well by the author. A great scene near the end of the book is after Ted has said goodbye to Colin at the airport and walked away, a man behind Colin remarks ‘Bloody Queen’. Colin turns around, looks the man right in the eyes and says, ‘He’s not….but he should be’. Facing ignorance and prejudice face on is just one of the many valuable lessons young readers can take from this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I remember this book! I read it in year 7 and loved it. I always remember the irony of the title. Good review, I think it is such a great review choice!