10% off all books and free delivery over £40
Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks.

Tosh's Island

"Empathetic and stunningly depicted story about the power of the imagination and true friendship to overcome chronic illness."

View All Editions (1)

£10.99 £9.89

This title will be released on 10/10/2024. Pre-order now.

Add To Wishlist
Write A Review Read An Extract

LoveReading4Kids Says

LoveReading4Kids Says

October 2024 Graphic Novel of the Month

This graphic novel is really something extraordinary. It is hard to believe that this is Leo Marcell’s debut as a graphic novel illustrator, but I predict that it will not be his last! The expressiveness of the characters, the evocative body language, as well as the beautifully realised authentic detail in landscape, interiors and costume, contrasting with the gloriously vivid imagined sequences, make this a book to linger over. But it is the inspiring and moving story that will really live with you and the way the carefully crafted words and images work together to tell the story explains just why graphic novels are so popular and accessible, and also that they can be as moving and empathetic as any full-length novel.

When we meet Tosh, she is on the cusp of adolescence, about to move up to ‘big’ school. She lives on a Kentish hop farm with her loving adoptive parents. She enjoys helping out on the farm and is sporty, adventurous and bold. She has a best friend, Millie, who is perhaps keener on growing up than she is. Everybody goes through a lot of physical changes and emotions at this time of their lives, but for Tosh, this is exacerbated by the rapidly developing onset of chronic illness and crippling pain.

At such a crucial period of transition for a young girl, to have to cope with her body letting her down is incredibly difficult and we become completely immersed in her struggles with the new school and the inevitable friendship dramas, made worse by her increasing ‘difference’. Her one solace throughout this and the search for a diagnosis and subsequent gruelling treatment, is her vivid imagination and love of stories, shared with a new friend she made at her favourite beach.

Inspired by Linda Sargent’s lived experience, as we see from the author’s letter and photos, we can see why every nuance of this sensitively told story rings authentically true. It is so rare to see disability and chronic illness ever depicted in children’s fiction and to be done so well makes this an important and welcome addition to any collection.

Any reader will be inspired and uplifted by the resilience and positivity with which Tosh meets her changed future.

Joy Court

Books of the Month
Star Books

Find This Book In

Suitable For:
Other Genres:
Recommendations:

About

Press Reviews

Author

Competitions Related To This Book

Collections Featuring This Book

You Might Also Like...

11+ readers

Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir

Pedro Martin

Paperback

In Stock

£13.49 £14.99

11+ readers

Aftershocks

Anne Fine

Paperback

In Stock

£7.19 £7.99

11+ readers

The Sad Ghost Club Volume Two

Lize Meddings

Paperback

In Stock

£9.89 £10.99

11+ readers

The Hideaway

Pam Smy

Hardback

In Stock

£13.49 £14.99

11+ readers

The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow

Emily Ilett

Paperback

In Stock

£6.29 £6.99

11+ readers

Silence is Goldfish

Annabel Pitcher

Paperback

In Stock

£8.09 £8.99