LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2020 | Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | February 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2020 | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 9
Cleverly set within a gripping adventure, Lark is a deeply touching story of the special bond between brothers.
Older brother Nicky narrates the story of the day he and his younger brother Kenny set out on a simple day out on the moors. Proposed by their father as a way of filling time while they wait nervously for their mum to return from her new life in Canada, it is meant to a fun day out tinged with a bit of nostalgia as they are retracing a walk that he used to enjoy.
But the simple walk which begins in a light hearted way soon becomes a deadly dangerous adventure as the weather conditions close in, the boys get completely lost and Nicky has to show exceptional courage and intelligence to make sure he can get Kenny home safely. Anthony McGowan maintains the intensity of the story throughout while also keeping the writing simple.
Julia Eccleshare M.B.E
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About
Lark Synopsis
Things are tense at home for Nicky and Kenny. Their mum's coming to visit and it will be the first time they've seen her in years. A lot has changed since they were little and Nicky's not so sure he's ready to see her again. When they head for a trek across the moors to take their minds off everything, a series of unforeseen circumstances leaves the brothers in a vulnerable and very dangerous position. There might even be a chance that this time not everyone will make it home alive...
An uncompromising and heartbreaking end to the story of Nicky and Kenny, the beloved brothers of the Carnegie shortlisted Rook, beautifully told in McGowan’s gritty realism.
A message from the author; “When I began Brock, I never planned on writing a sequel. I certainly never thought there would be four books. But each time I typed ‘The End’ I had a feeling that somehow Nicky and Kenny’s story was unfinished. I’ve come to know them better than any of the hundreds of characters I’ve created over the years, and I felt an obligation to them. Their lives began in poverty and turmoil. Together we made it through to a brighter place. But I wanted one last trial, one last adventure”
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant, or dyslexic readers aged 13+.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781781128435 |
| Publication date: |
17th January 2019 |
| Author: |
Anthony McGowan |
| Publisher: |
Barrington Stoke Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
110 pages |
| Series: |
Barrington Stoke Teen |
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Press Reviews
Anthony McGowan Press Reviews
“Never have three sparsely written novellas packed such an emotional punch. Not a word is wasted and, for me, they are the absolute definition of the word ‘classic’” - Phil Earle, Guardian
Praise for the novellas Brook, Pike and Rook;
“McGowan … freights every word with truth and feeling … Few other writers for the young better understand the pull of the gang and the fear of the bully” The Times
“[Nature] provides a moment of epiphany that resounds. Simply told, yet laced with urgency, this will spellbind” Philip Womack, Daily Telegraph
“Rook is an outstanding piece of writing … unflinching and authentic, funny and gritty and a treasured addition to my bookshelves” Waterstones Bookseller
“A gut-wrenching tale of crime and punishment makes compelling reading” New Stateman
“Gritty, unflinching and authentic ...with a life-affirming warmth” Carnegie Judging Panel
“Lucid and sharp as broken glass, it’s a book filled with raw, elemental emotion” Guardian
“McGowan writes in prose as spare and effective as that of Barry Hines … there’s an extraordinary depth and elegance to this story. An outstanding novel” Andrea Reece. Lovereading4Kids
Author
About Anthony McGowan
Anthony McGowan is the author of many critically acclaimed YA novels and won the 2006 BookTrust Teenage Prize, the 2007 Catalyst Award and has been shortlisted for a raft of other major children’s literature prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for Rook in 2018. McGowan was born in Manchester, attended school in Leeds and now lives in London.
Photo credit Jerry Bauer
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