Publisher Description

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S LITERARY AWARDS 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: OLDER READERS 2021A runaway, a baby and a whole lot of questions...Lissa is home on her own after school one afternoon when a stranger turns up on the doorstep carrying a baby. Reed is on the run - surely people are looking for him? He's trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa's mum might have some answers. But how could he be connected to Lissa's family - and why has he been left in charge of a baby? A baby who is sick, and getting sicker ... Reed's appearance stirs up untold histories in Lissa's family, and suddenly she is having to make sense of her past in a way she would never have imagined. Meanwhile, her brother is dealing with a devastating secret of his own.A beautiful and timely coming-of-age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change.'This book is a joy to read' CBCA Judges reportPraise for Jane Godwin:'refreshingly unpredictable, bold and refuses to minimise the complex lives of [its] characters' - Saturday Age on As Happy as Here'an empathetic exploration of family, friendship and how all our actions have consequences' - Readings Monthly'gentle, well-written and thoroughly engaging' - Adelaide Advertiser

Author Biography

Jane Godwin is the highly acclaimed and internationally published author of many books for children and young people, across all styles and ages. Children's Publisher at Penguin Books Australia for many years, Jane's books include her novels A Walk in the Dark (September 2022), Falling From Grace, As Happy as Here (a CBCA Notable Book) and When Rain Turns to Snow (shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers and for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards) and picture books Tilly, illustrated by Anna Walker and The Best Hiding Place (illustrated by Sylvia Morris), both shortlisted for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award. Jane is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, and spends as much time as she can working with them in schools and communities and running literature and writing programs.janegodwin.com.au

Review

featured as 'Stellar pick'--NATIONAL [PRINT] 'Stellar', The Daily Telegraph, [AUDIENCE: 378,449 ASR: AUD 10,626]
to come.--NATIONAL [PRINT] Magpies
to come.--NATIONAL [PRINT] Wellbeing magazine, 3 September
to come.--NATIONAL [PRINT] Wellbeing WILD magazine, 30 July
Featured as 'Stellar--NATIONAL [PRINT] 'Stellar', Sunday Herald Sun [AUDIENCE: 349,252 ASR: AUD 5,934 ]
NATIONAL [ONLINE] Better Reading, review, July
NATIONAL [ONLINE] LoveOzYA, review and social media inclusion
NATIONAL [ONLINE] Storyfest, inclusion in August EDM
NATIONAL [ONLINE] Storylinks, review
NATIONAL [PRINT] 'Sunday Life', The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, featured in READ section
So much is covered here - the beauty of friendship, the struggles young people face trying to find their place in the world, the effects of cyberbullying, and the pressure of responsibility--VIC [PRINT] Herald Sun [AUDIENCE: 306,571 ASR: AUD 14,816]
The management of a teenage narrative voice by an adult writer is harder than people think, but Godwin makes Lissa's voice credible and consistent.--NSW & VIC [PRINT] Spectrum, SMH and The Age [AUDIENCE: 241,029 ASR: AUD 10,337]

Long Description

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S LITERARY AWARDS 2021 SHORTLISTED FOR THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: OLDER READERS 2021 A runaway, a baby and a whole lot of questions...Lissa is home on her own after school one afternoon when a stranger turns up on the doorstep carrying a baby. Reed is on the run - surely people are looking for him? He's trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa's mum might have some answers. But how could he be connected to Lissa's family - and why has he been left in charge of a baby? A baby who is sick, and getting sicker ... Reed's appearance stirs up untold histories in Lissa's family, and suddenly she is having to make sense of her past in a way she would never have imagined. Meanwhile, her brother is dealing with a devastating secret of his own. A beautiful and timely coming-of-age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change. 'This book is a joy to read' CBCA Judges report Praise for Jane Godwin: 'refreshingly unpredictable, bold and refuses to minimise the complex lives of [its] characters' - Saturday Age on As Happy as Here 'an empathetic exploration of family, friendship and how all our actions have consequences' - Readings Monthly 'gentle, well-written and thoroughly engaging' - Adelaide Advertiser

Review Quote

NATIONAL [PRINT] 'Sunday Life', The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, featured in READ section

Promotional "Headline"

A beautiful and timely coming-of-age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Fiona Wood and Emily Rodda.

Details