Twins Ned and Jamie spend their spare time – when Ned is well enough – searching the shorelines of the beaches near their home for washed up treasures. That’s where they find the strange, otherworldly creature that Jamie hopes has come to cure Ned. Ned understands that Leonard, as they call the creature, is indeed there to save him, just not in the way his brother hopes. The story is punctuated with tales of seafaring and merman, told by the boys’ granddad, together with descriptions of their favourite Star Trek episodes, both giving the story extra resonance. It’s beautifully told and beautifully illustrated too, a tender, touching account of a family facing the death of a child. ~Andrea Reece
Jamie and Ned are twins. They do everything together: riding their bikes, beachcombing outside their house, watching their favourite episodes of Star Trek. But Ned is sick, and one day, he may leave Jamie behind. When they discover a strange creature on the beach, Ned wants one more adventure and decides to keep him secretly in their garage. But Jamie begins to hope that the creature might bring some miracle, and stop his brother from going where he can no longer follow...
From the same author-illustrator team who created the Carnegie-nominated My Brother’s Shadow.
Tom Avery was born and raised in London in a very large, very loud family, descendants of the notorious pirate Henry Avery. He trained as a teacher and has worked with children in inner city schools in London and Birmingham.
Tom lives in Amsterdam with his wife and two sons.
Click here to read The English Association's interview with Tom.
