by Linda Newbery (Author)
New house, new school, new friends - but Matt Lanchester knows it won't all be that easy when he moves from Milton Keynes to Hay-on-Wye. Almost as soon as he arrives he is drawn into a mystery when he sees a roadside memorial marked by a little wooden cross with the initials M.L carved into it. His initials! Then he meets Robbo and Tig and Old Wil Jones and his wife, Gwynnie. There's history here and a well kept village secret - and Matt is desperate to find out more. His new acquaintances are keener on taunting Wil - Wil, the murderer. But that's not Matt' s style. Befriending Wil, and with a sense of a shadowy figure always close by, he learns about a tragedy in the past, helps set the record straight and finally lay to rest the ghost of boy he feels he's come to know. Linda Newbery effortlessly mixes the old with the new, the past with the present, tragedy with triumph as she writes about communities and individuals, facing challenges and being accepted.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Published: 20 Oct 2005
ISBN 10: 1842551248
ISBN 13: 9781842551240
Children’s book age: 9-11 Years
Book Overview: Linda Newbery has previously been shortlisted for both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. She is a well-known and respected author. Pitched at the 9 plus age group where there is an acknowledged lack of really good books. Thoughtful and sensitive writing with real insight, strong characters and storyline. AT THE FIREFLY GATE reprinted before publication and was an Ottakar's Book of the Month. Bound proofs available.
Prizes: Long-listed for Shrewsbury Bookfest Book Award 2012.