"A compelling and thought-provoking family drama, with an intriguing mystery at its heart and a really authentic portrayal of young lives affected by poverty and insecurity. It will be perfect for readers who prefer a slice of real life rather than fantasy and enjoy writers like Lisa Thompson, Matt Goodfellow and Cath Howe."
August 2026 Book of the Month
Once again S E Durrant demonstrates her talent for tackling difficult issues without talking down to her young readers and to create memorable and convincing characters.
Luna, our eleven-year-old narrator and maths genius, uses numbers to calm her anxieties. She dreams of being an astronaut and has a close relationship with her Dad who encourages and supports her ambitions. Together they track the International Space Station and each chapter is fronted by a report from Mimi her favourite astronaut.
This is also a brilliant way of reminding the reader of how much time is passing since Luna saw her Dad leave one Wednesday night. Mum says he’s visiting Nan but when Nan’s nursing home call, it becomes clear that Dad is not there. Then Dad’s boss and other frightening people start to call at the house to ask for him and Mum says the girls must not answer the door.
Without any explanation forthcoming, Luna’s anxiety spirals. Luna is very different to her bubbly and confident younger sister Jade, but they start to work together, collecting clues and evidence to track him down, with the invaluable help of Luna’s friend Casey. The family had already been struggling after their parents lost their business, The Centre of the Universe café and we see how Luna has had to take responsibility beyond her years.
As latchkey children she has to ensure they get to school on time and scrapes together lunches from bare cupboards and finds ways to earn extra money.
It is heartwarming to see the school they attend quietly taking action to ensure children do not go hungry, which is sadly a reflection of reality for many communities at the moment. A particular strength of this moving and increasingly tense story is the spot on depiction of the sibling relationship.
Their differences can irritate each other, but Luna discovering that Jade (like most of us) has her own coping mechanisms, brings them closer together. Luna also becomes a better friend through these experiences, learning more about Casey and other classmates and developing more empathy and understanding.
The children together show great courage, determination and resourcefulness in their search for the truth and, as we move towards the dramatic conclusion when we all discover the eventual reasons for their father’s disappearance, there is plenty to think about and discuss, particularly about the importance of standing up for what you believe in and what you think is right.
A beautifully crafted story with diverse characters and underlying themes of friendship, family, resilience, kindness and environmental awareness, this would make an excellent and highly recommended read aloud for children of 9 years upwards.
A compelling and heartwarming story about a girl's determination to find out what happened to her dad and the uncertainty she faces in the days following his disappearance. From the acclaimed author of Little Bits of Sky.
We've got some great stuff related to this book in our KidsZone.
Head over there and check it out now.
A compelling and heartwarming story about a girl's determination to find out what happened to her dad and the uncertainty she faces in the days following his disappearance. From the acclaimed author of Little Bits of Sky.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Into Thin Air and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Into Thin Air features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Crime & Mystery, Stories about Family and Friends, Ecological and Environmental Interest - Non Fiction, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: Social issues / topics, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Relationships (non-family / groups)
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Into Thin Air was written by S. E. Durrant and published by Nosy Crow an imprint of Nosy Crow Ltd
Into Thin Air has 239 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
