Set in a world where words appear physically when people speak, AWAY WITH WORDS explores the importance of communication and being there for those we love. Gala and her dad, Jordi, have just moved from home in Cataluna to a town in Scotland, to live with Jordi's boyfriend Ryan.
Gala doesn't speak much English, and feels lost, lonely and unable to be her usual funny self. Until she befriends Natalie, a girl with selective mutism. The two girls find their own ways to communicate, which includes collecting other people's discarded words. They use the words to write anonymous supportive poems for their classmates, but then someone begins leaving nasty messages using the same method - and the girls are blamed.
Gala has finally started adapting to her new life in Scotland and is determined to find the culprit. Can she and Natalie show the school who they really are?
This book is centred around a thoughtful, original concept which encourages readers to think about the importance of words, and the impact they can have, in new ways. Gala is a believable, flawed character who can be selfish at times, but grows and develops through the course of the book. The reader is carried on a personal journey following Natalie and Gala’s experiences as their friendship develops. Family, school life, disabilities and mental health are all portrayed through the book and encourage consideration of what it must feel like to be in Gala’s shoes. There’s a great representation of different cultures and inclusion. Beautifully observed, this is a book that will be remembered and one which is a true celebration of language and emotions.
Away With Words– A Q&A with author Sophie Cameron - Little Tiger
'Do you feel safe?' A powerful novel exploring how teenagers can be swept up into county lines. For fans of PUNCHING THE AIR and SPLINTERS OF SUNSHINE. Erik's life has been falling apart ever since his dad died. Homework and being good at school stop feeling important when you're the new man of the house. When Erik's bad behaviour attracts the wrong crowd, he's sucked into a terrifying new world of drug dealing, trap houses and violence. Making money feels good but Erik soon learns that a small favour can become a huge debt. And when his sisters' lives are threatened, Erik will have to cross one more line to save them. Written in stunning verse, this is a poignant story about seeking safety and asking for help in times of crisis.
MEET MC GROWLS, WANNABE RAPPER AND STAR OF THE SHOW IN THIS HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING TEEN DEBUT.
Yeah they call me Growls, I'm like a tiger on the prowl.
King of jungles so you better take a bow.
King of concrete so you better say it loud!
Shaun (aka MC Growls) is ready to drop his best bars and smash the competition at Raptology. That way, he's convinced Tanisha, his crush, will finally give him a chance.
But when a livestream practice goes epically wrong, Growls's dirty laundry is literally exposed. He's finally achieved his dreams of going viral - not in the good way.
Now Tanisha won't look at him, he's the joke of the school and there's no way he can show his face at the competition. Will he ever catch a break?
Then a new girl on the block appears who might be just the friend Growls needs. Especially when she points out that Raptology could be the answer to his problems after all. . .
STEP UP TO THE MIC! It's MC Growls and he's ready for this. He's steady for this. It's comeback season and they call him comeback king for a reason.
Author Interview - Nathanael Lessore on Vimeo
Dreams are today’s answers for tomorrow’s questions. Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets.
He has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, West Africa, where he lives.
He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming.
But when the unthinkable – a sudden death – occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life.
What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.
Yet Kofi’s dreams may be the key to his freedom…
Choose Love
Evocative and insightful, Choose Love combines Davies' powerful verse with Horácek's breathtaking illustrations to explore the stories of those who have lost their homes fleeing war or conflict.
In this moving sequence of poems Nicola Davies’s text combines with the superbly evocative illustrations of Petr Horácek to provide insight into the real-life experiences of refugees forced to leave their homes and previous lives behind to face an unknown future.
Suffused with compassion and understanding, the work invites you to share in these stories in the hope of building greater awareness and empathy for the struggles faced by so many, and to choose love as our response.
For those who might have stopped listening, these poems are powerful enough to ignite new ways of thinking and feeling. Personal and profound refugee stories highlight how we as individuals can make positive change. The poems are complex and powerful and leave a lasting impression on readers. Themes of survival, love, hope and the kindness of strangers are woven seamlessly through the poems. At times it makes for uncomfortable reading, but those emotions contribute to the outstanding nature of the collection. Each poem stands alone, but also works as a collection to build a bigger and fuller picture witha good variety of poetic styles and techniques. The collection acts as a reminder that refugees and migrants heard about in politics and on the news are real people with real stories from a range of perspectives.
War is creeping across Europe but has not yet reached Safiyyah and her family. For the moment, Paris is still a free city and life at the Grand Mosque is ordered and calm; Muslims, Jews and Christians live harmoniously together.
It happens gradually; an influx of refugees, the exodus of many wealthy Parisians and most of the government. Then the dramatic arrival of German soldiers and the imposition of a curfew. And later, the shortage of food and introduction of draconian laws against Jews.
Safiyyah feels helpless as she witnesses the impact of war. But as she starts to notice unexplained irregularities around the mosque, it becomes clear that some great act of rebellion is happening right under her nose. And despite the dangers, she is determined to play her part.
Focussing on the experiences of a small group of individuals, Safiyyah’s story shines a spotlight on an under-recognised pocket of resistance from World War II when hundreds of Jews were led to safety via underground passages from the Grand Mosque.
This a fascinating and moving story of courage, resilience and humanity that honours unsung heroes whose sense of justice outweighed concern for their own safety.
Safiyyah is a heroine readers won’t forget. She is independent, bookish, rebellious, adventurous and bold. There’s a palpable build up to events with strong characterisation throughout and a central character who develops in maturity and understanding. Community and coming together in adverse times are related powerfully and memorably. The intergenerational relationship between Safiyyah and her grandmother is well realised in this engaging and emotional story based on real events. Themes of family, friendship and bravery are set against an accurate and realistic historical context. It’s an outstanding account of an important but often overlooked aspect of World War Two history. It shows empathy in action and tackles stereotypes about Muslims, Jews and women. A gripping novel that allows us to re-evaluate the stories of the past through a different lens. The ending gives real pause for thought.
In his new verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth.
While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father.
Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means. The path to self-discovery takes Theo through 'those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine'.
Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.
"There are three questions that I need to find the answers to:
Where am I? What am I doing here? And... Who am I?"
When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the desert, she has no idea who she is. She's wearing one shoe, a silky black dress, and she's carrying a strange, heavy case. She meets Tarni, who is on a mysterious quest of her own.
Together, the two girls trek across the vast and ever-changing Australian Outback in search of answers.
Except both are also hiding secrets...