LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award 2018
This immersive coming-of-age epic is set in the late nineteenth century, when an age-old Filipino culture first encounters the brutal warmongering of white men.
Samkad cannot wait to become a man through undergoing the ‘Cut’ rites of passage observed by his Bontok tribe (later ignorantly mispronounced by American occupiers as “Bone Talk”), though he fears losing his best friend Luki as a result, for Luki is a girl and their relationship will be forbidden, even though they share the same ambitions - to become a warrior, to fight the Mangili. Samkad’s absorbing journey to manhood is intensified when a white stranger arrives in his village claiming to be his brother, a stranger who tells tales of a people called Americans. Then, when the Americans arrive, bringing war and destruction to the Bontok’s remote mountains, nothing will be the same again. Not for Samkad, nor for his family and culture.
By turns universal and unique, historically enlightening and emotionally powerful, this relatable, resonant coming-of-age adventure boasts an abundance of heart, atmosphere and action.
Joanne Owen
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About
Bone Talk Synopsis
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal (UK)Shortlisted for the Costa Prize (UK)Sunday Times Children's Book of the WeekThe Guardian Book of the MonthThe Times Books of the Year"Hotly Anticipated Historical Fiction for Young Adults" Amazon.co.uk
It is 1899. Ten year old Samkad thinks he knows everything about the world. He knows that home is in the mountains. He knows who his friends and his enemies are. And he knows that he will grow up to become a warrior like his dad, with his own shield, spear and axe.His best friend is Little Luki and she too wants to become a warrior - though there's little chance of that because she is just a girl.Then strangers arrive: a boy with many languages in his throat ... and weird-looking men called Americans who bring war and death.Set during the U.S. invasion of the Philippines.
Endorsed by Amnesty International: "Amnesty International endorses Bone Talk because it upholds many human rights, including our rights to life, to equality, to have a religion, to enjoy our own culture. It also shows us what can happen when these are taken away from us." About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781338349634 |
| Publication date: |
5th November 2019 |
| Author: |
Candy Gourlay |
| Publisher: |
David Fickling Books an imprint of Scholastic Inc. |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
272 pages |
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Press Reviews
Candy Gourlay Press Reviews
'One of the standout titles of the year' The Independent ; 'Very special' The Times ; 'Gourlay's evocative writing grips from the outset' The Guardian ; 'A master storyteller' The Scotsman ; 'Vividly drawn ... mesmerising' The Observer ; 'Exciting and action-packed' National Geographic Kids ; 'A soulful coming-of-age story rich in Filipino myth and tradition, combined with a thrilling adventure of headhunters and invaders, asking powerful questions about community, colonialism and what it means to be a man' Fiona Noble, The Bookseller ; 'Utterly engrossing. This sumptuously realised, age-old story of colonisation transports in time, culture, landscape and history. It will lodge deep in the bone long after these pages have been turned' Sita Brahmachari, author of Artichoke Hearts, winner of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize ; 'A wonderful novel ... will stay with me for a long time' Elizabeth Laird, author of The Garbage King ; 'I loved Bone Talk. A really thoughtful and wonderful piece of storytelling' Catherine Johnson, author of Sawbones ; 'I was enthralled by Bone Talk' Teen Librarian ; 'A gripping adventure story and a fascinating piece of historical fiction but you never, ever forget that it's the story of Samkad, a boy you believe could be your friend. Highly recommended' Jill Murphy, The Bookbag ; 'Totally transported to another time, another world. Utterly amazing book' Emily Drabble, BookTrust ; 'I loved this book in so many ways. It's diverse, very challenging and really made me think. I feel as if I have lived every moment of the story ... This is a great young-adult read that strikes away from the norm. It certainly shook me from my reading perch as it was enjoyable on so many levels' Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
Author
About Candy Gourlay
Candy Gourlay was born in Manila during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos; after
working as a journalist for some years, she moved to the UK in her twenties. Candy is
now a full-time writer across a range of medium; short stories, blogs, websites,
journalistic features and radio programmes. TALL STORY is Candy’s first full-length
published novel.
More About Candy Gourlay
