Ice Cream Boy Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Luca Verani has his future all mapped out: who needs school when he's going to take over his family's ice cream cafe? But then his aunt announces she's selling the struggling business and Luca realises that his nonna's memory is disappearing. Plus, he's starting high school and one of his best friends Sitara is being targeted by racist bullies.
As Luca's worries pile up, will his dreams melt away?
Ice Cream Boy is a heart-warming novel from Lindsay Littleson, author of Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns.
Full of authentic dialogue, gentle humour and true-to-life characters, this engaging middle-grade novel explores the thoughts and feelings of children affected by dementia.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781782508892 |
| Publication date: |
16th May 2024 |
| Author: |
Lindsay Littleson |
| Publisher: |
Floris Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
229 pages |
| Series: |
Kelpies |
| Suitable For: |
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| Other Genres: |
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Lindsay Littleson Press Reviews
'My favourite Lindsay book... An amazing, heartwarming tale of fractured families, dementia and delicious secret ice-cream recipes!' - Maisie Chan, author of Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
About Lindsay Littleson
Lindsay Littleson is an award-winning middle-grade author from Glasgow, Scotland. Her books include Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, The Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Kelpies Prize-winning The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean, which was also longlisted for the Waterstones Children's Books Prize. Inspired by many happy years as a primary teacher, Lindsay's books have been praised for their believable characters and authentic dialogue. She currently lives in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
More About Lindsay Littleson
A Letter from the Author:
Dear Reader,
I began writing Ice Cream Boy soon after my mum’s death from Alzheimer’s disease, and that aspect of Luca’s story feels very personal. The eulogy I gave at my mum’s funeral began Alzheimer’s is a wicked disease, and I did wonder if mentioning her dementia would be too depressing for what was meant to be a celebration of Mum’s life. But her final years were hugely impacted by Alzheimer’s and it seemed wrong to ignore that. So I told the truth:
Alzheimer’s stole Mum’s memories, her cheerful chat, her interest in our news, her joy in reading. Dementia was a cruel thief and it took Mum gradually, snatching almost everything from her, and from us.
Dementia nearly won… but it didn’t. It didn’t ever take Mum’s smile. There were still frequent glimpses of her spirit, and those glimpses helped us remember the things we all adored about our mum: her cheeky humour, her compassion, her empathy, her love of her family and friends.
Luca’s nonna might be different from my mum in lots of ways, but she too has a cheeky sense of humour and a heart full of love.
Ice Cream Boy doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that Alzheimer’s is an awful disease and that caring for a relative with dementia is terribly hard. My hope is that reading this book might develop children’s empathy and understanding and help young people who are coping with a similar situation know they are not alone.
Lindsay Littleson
Glasgow, 2024
