Lark

From the award winning and Carnegie nominated Anthony McGowan, this is already set to be another best seller. A real page turner which had me gripped to the end. Lark continues the story of Nicky and Kenny, brothers who have not had the best start in life. But in this tale, things have finally started to go right and the boys set out to have an adventure in the Countryside. Taking their rescue dog Tina with them, Nicky plans to distract Kenny from the up and coming visit from their estranged mother through a little adventure on the moors. But things go from bad to worse as the weather turns and Nicky becomes injured. The boys are ill-prepared and struggle to survive. Have tissues at the ready, the ending will really make you sob. Personally I loved Brock, Pike and Rook - the earlier books in the series - so it was with great excitement that I sat to read the final instalment of this collection. I love the very real characters, how their lives aren't perfect and they have a sometimes challenging home life. I love that Kenny has SEND and the way Nicky looks out for him. I love that this tale had me in floods of tears in the concluding chapter. Aimed at young adults, McGowan has perfectly encapsulated the struggles of growing up, of friendships, of home life. I often see a copy of one of these books in the hands on my students (particularly boys!) and it is not hard to see why they enjoy them so. McGowan's books are the type of stories that stay with you, that you return to and enjoy sharing with others. But nothing prepared me for that ending! Barrington Stoke design their books with thick, sepia paper with larger font for young people to easily access the text. Beautifully published, the books are accessible for young people of all abilities. Congratulations Anthony McGowan on another fabulous, yet utter heartbreaking, tale. 120 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Joanna Hewish, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 11+