Sussex Author Helps Donate Her AudioBooks to Visually Impaired Charity

Adults and children who are visually impaired or have a disability that prevents them reading print will soon benefit from additional audiobooks thanks to a joint scheme with Sussex based author Julia B. Grantham and award-winning narrator Alison Larkin.

For every audiobook purchased, an other copy will be donated to the world wide charity Calibre. Calibre brings free audiobooks to people with sight loss, dyslexia or another disability that prevents them from reading print.

Author Julia B. Grantham, from Little Horsted, self-published her debut children’s book in January 2021. The book soon became a best seller on Amazon in five categories.

Julia is also an Ambassador for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, founded by Jane Austen’s fifth great-niece Caroline Jane Knight, whose aim is to harness the global passion for Jane Austen to bring literacy to all parts of the world. It was through this work that Julia met celebrated audiobook narrator Alison Larkin, a multi-award-winning narrator of Complete Novels of Jane Austen, and other classic English novels for adults and children, including Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Happy Prince and many others. ‘Alison Larkin Presents’ has won ELEVEN AudioFile Earphones Awards for exceptional audio since 2016! Alison loved Julia’s book so much that despite it’s been a debut children’s novel, decided to team up with Julia and to bring her narrating talent to the project.

‘A Mole Like No Other’ focuses on the adventures of a toy mole left sad and neglected in a box by his owner. Then he’s taken to an Easter Sale and is bought by a little boy called Ashley and his life is transformed. He becomes Moley and joins Ashley’s other toy animals who are all loved. Moley gets to know them and friendships develop — and a few problems too! He also has exciting and amusing adventures with his friends and with the real animals and birds in the garden. This charming new book is set in a cosy English country house with a traditional garden. But behind all this tranquillity, challenges and even dangers, await the characters. The story is told beautifully and with great humour and explores many life lessons and values such as being brave, safety, helping others and responsibilities. The book also gently introduces the concepts of counselling with children.

Author Julia, from Little Horsted, is a trained medical doctor and therapist. She touches on her career in the book so as to demystify the concepts of counselling, “Mrs Richards….was a counsellor…patients came to her for help and advice every day.” explains our narrator. It is hoped that this aspect will open up conversations with young children about the concept of counselling, as well as therapy sessions. At a time when children’s mental health and wellbeing are so profound, this is timely conversation to have.

The book has been received extremely positively amongst professionals in the psychotherapy and counselling field. One professional reader said: ‘I read it and loved it! There is much to discuss, especially about ‘human behaviour’ and why we react and respond as we do, and I feel this could be such a wonderful resource in schools, particularly in these times when there is much focus on mental and psychological well-being.’

The fictional book has reached an audience as far afield as America and Australia, with many fans following ‘Moley’ on his Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Julia and Alison are hosting an audiobook launch party on Thursday April 15th 2021 on Zoom, to celebrate the launch. The invite-only party will also include a class from America joining in and fans from around the world who have read the book.

‘A Mole Like No Other’ audiobook is available to pre-order for the discounted price of $10 (normally $20) on the link here:

https://alisonlarkinpresents.com/product/a-mole-like-no-other-audiobook/

‘Wonderful, sensitive and charming. And – very funny! I found myself reading it aloud.’
Geoffrey Hall, Actor

‘I am convinced it will become a children’s classic.’
Cass Grafton, Author

“… mental health difficulties are becoming increasingly widespread amongst children and there should be more books for kids mentioning our profession and talking about the importance of expressing and managing thoughts and feelings!”
Carolyn, Speech and Language Therapist.

‘A Mole Like No Other’ by Julia B. Grantham is a delightful book about a toy mole, who is looking for love, friendship and his place in the world.

Notes for Journalists:

Julia B. Grantham lives in the South of England with her husband, son, two cats, Moley, Owlie and all the other toys that make their appearance in this book; with ducks and pigeons in the garden, chickens across the road, as well as rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and deer, who visit often and hope also to make it into a book one day soon.

Julia is a medical doctor and a training consultant, but books are her passion. She is a Harry Potter fanatic, an Ambassador for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, a writer and illustrator of Jane Austen-inspired travel fiction, and now – an author of her first book for children.

A Mole Like No Other is currently free with Kindle Unlimited, or can be purchased for the limited offer of £4.99 in paperback, from Amazon.

Julia is available for Zoom classroom readings to school pupils, and bring along her toy Moley too.

Additional commentary and images are available on request.