Charlotte Moundlic (text) & Olivier Tallec (illustrations)translated from the French(Walker Books) When his mother dies of what appears to have been a long illness, a little boy is left alone with his grief-stricken father, and struggling to make sense of the void that his mother’s passing has left behind. He closes the windows so the …
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A Monster Calls
Patrick Nessfrom an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, with illustrations by Jim Kay(Walker Books) Connor has been having nightmares for a while. But one night, a monster, which seems to have been born from the yew tree in the churchyard opposite their house, comes to him at 12.07 am exactly and continues to do so every night. At first …
Artichoke Hearts
Sita Brahmachari(Macmillan Children’s Books) Mira Levenson has just turned twelve and feels like her life has been tipped upside down. It already felt quite chaotic, with her lively, loud and nosy family and her outspoken larger-than-life grandmother. Sometimes Mira just feels that she could do with a little more privacy of thoughts and actions. But …
Noah Barleywater Runs Away
John Boyne with artwork by Oliver Jeffers(David Fickling Books) Eight year-old Noah is running away. Running away from what, we are not sure yet but as dawn slowly peeking behind the night, he leaves his house and his sleeping parents behind and takes to the road. On his way many odd things seem to happen …
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han(Puffin) Belly is about to turn sweet sixteen and for as long as she can remember, she has spent each summer at her mother’s best friend’s beach house with her mother, her brother, and Susannah and her two boys. Belly has always adulated the older boy, Conrad, but the feelings have never openly been …