Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | The first novel by acclaimed poet Tony Mitton (winner of the CLPE Poetry Award - the only award for published poetry for children in the UK). Potter's Boy is a moving and beautiful story about finding your true path in life.
The Branford Boase Judges said : ‘beautiful storytelling’; ‘a slow read for the modern child but one that will draw them in’; ‘uses a particularly rich vocabulary’; poignant and unusual’; ‘I learned something from it’.
In a small village, a long time ago, young Ryo is desperate for excitement and adventure. When he sees a lone warrior chase bandits away from his home, he realises how he can find it. He learns the man is from a secret group of warriors known only as the ‘Hidden Ones’. He decides immediately that he is going to leave home, to train to become a fighter.
Setting out on his journey to find his way in the world, Ryo will meet brave warriors, wise hermits, and heart- breaking tragedy. His quest and the people he meets along the way lead him to an understanding of what it means to follow his dream, and where his place in the world truly lies.
'Thrillingly robust, this book is an eternal rallying cry to the heroism of artists, and one every reader should treasure.' - The Times
'Mitton's words flow freely and easily with all the lyrical grace of a song.' - Independent
Author
About Tony Mitton
Tony Mittonhas been writing since he was 9. He began writing specifically for children while working as a primary school and special needs teacher. He now works full-time as a writer and sometimes performs his poems in schools and libraries and other venues, mainly in the UK. His picture books includeDown by the Cool of the Pool(with Guy Parker-Rees) and The Somethingosaur(with Russell Ayto).
He lives in a small house in the middle of Cambridge with his wife and two children, and a cat called Tiggy, who is definitely one of the family. Tony likes Cambridge but he and his wife often wish they'd settled somewhere where there are better places for walking, like cliffs and hills with good views of the landscape.
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