"Storytelling high on impact and insight as a young girl struggles to keep her life from unravelling"
May 2022 Book of the Month - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize 2023 | Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023
Patrice Lawrence’s new book for Barrington Stoke is heartrending and thought-provoking, a taut first-person narrative that many will find themselves reading in one sitting. 15-year-old Charlene is struggling to stay in control of her life. She’s been in care since her mother died two years ago and desperately misses her little sister, who is living with her own father. Knitting is Charlene’s therapy, the click, click, click of the needles helping her find calm, but the pressures she faces at school and outside are overwhelming. An act of cruelty against her leads Charlene to rage and violence. As the security she has known unravels, readers will understand her despair and frustration, particularly at the constant demands on her to be sorry. Written to be accessible to all readers, Needle lets us see through someone else’s eyes, highlighting the restrictive effects of society’s expectations of individuals. Vivid, powerful and unforgettable.
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers
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Award-winning author Patrice Lawrence explores the harsh reality of the criminal justice system for young people in this riveting teen drama.
Charlene is a demon knitter. It's the only thing she enjoys and the only thing she believes she's really good at. So when her foster mum's son destroys her latest creation, Charlene loses it and stabs him in the hand with her knitting needle. It damages a nerve and she gets sucked into the criminal justice system for assault.
Charlene's not sorry and she's never apologised to anyone in her life. But people keep telling her that if she says sorry, they'll go easier on her. Can she bring herself to say it and not mean it when her freedom's at stake?
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Needle and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Needle features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Teens, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Gritty Reads, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Needle is available in Paperback
Needle was written by Patrice Lawrence and published by Barrington Stoke Ltd
Needle has 120 pages
£7.19
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