Needle

LoveReading4Kids Says

May 2022 Book of the Month - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize 2023 | Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023

Patrice Lawrence’s new book for Barrington Stoke is heartrending and thought-provoking, a taut first-person narrative that many will find themselves reading in one sitting. 15-year-old Charlene is struggling to stay in control of her life. She’s been in care since her mother died two years ago and desperately misses her little sister, who is living with her own father. Knitting is Charlene’s therapy, the click, click, click of the needles helping her find calm, but the pressures she faces at school and outside are overwhelming. An act of cruelty against her leads Charlene to rage and violence. As the security she has known unravels, readers will understand her despair and frustration, particularly at the constant demands on her to be sorry. Written to be accessible to all readers, Needle lets us see through someone else’s eyes, highlighting the restrictive effects of society’s expectations of individuals. Vivid, powerful and unforgettable.

Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers 

Andrea Reece

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