"Navigating family and friendship issues make for a tough final year of primary school"
Shortlisted for The Branford Boase Award 2024 | September 2023 Book of the Month
A moving debut verse novel from this acclaimed poet introduces us to 10- year old Nate, “a week away from the end of Year 5”, showing us his streets, “not a place of labradors and lattes” and his people: brothers Jaxon, Dylan, his Mum, the missing fathers, Auntie San and PS, “ my best mate since I nicked his biscuit at nursery”. Nate tells us about The Beast too, the anger he struggles to keep under control.
Complemented by Joe Todd-Stanton’s illustrations, these word pictures bring Nate vividly to life and throughout this powerful novel we share his innermost thoughts and can really connect with all the pain, anger and love that he feels. He is gutted to discover that he and PS will be in different classes in Year 6 and then during the summer, while Nate lives in the library, discovering a passion for David Almond books, PS is in Benidorm where he meets up with the neighbourhood bully Turner.
When school begins again PS and Turner become inseparable. Nate’s lonely struggles and his love of reading do not go unnoticed by his exemplary teacher Mr Joshua, who introduces the class to Skellig and even gives Nate a special notebook and encourages his writing.
Nate needs all the help he can get when Dylan nearly dies, but that trauma proves a cathartic healing process for both friends and family: “in the darkness we find our people”. We also see a beautiful demonstration of the power of reading. The similar themes of grief and families in crisis, to be found in Skellig, really help Nate to process what he is going through.
Highly accessible, lyrical and life affirming, this is a must-have novel that will authentically resonate with so many under-represented children and perfectly captures what this crucial transition period feels like. As such, it is a must-read for adults as well as the children who will devour it. It will also resonate with children who have made that transition and perhaps help them with their own feelings, as well as encouraging them to write for themselves.
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
See that tall, skinny kid with the ball in his hand sayin see ya later to his mate? That's me: Nathan Wilder Nate.
10 years old and a week away from the end of Year 5. Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS is at his side - they've been inseparable since Nursery.
But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, Nate's world turns upside-down. As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he's dealt another blow when his youngest brother,
Dylan is rushed into hospital. His new teacher, Mr Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that's lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to process what's going on. But with so much working against him, and anger rising inside him, will this be enough?
A powerful and lyrical story about finding your place in the world and the people that matter within it.
Also now available the sequel The First Year.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Final Year and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Final Year features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, School Stories, Stories in Verse, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
The Final Year is available in Paperback
The Final Year was written by Matt Goodfellow and published by Otter-Barry Books Ltd
The Final Year has 288 pages
£8.99
