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Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2014 - One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2013 - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+
Nicky knows he must do everything in his power to save the innocent and brave badger. But fighting the three local bullies whose cruelty towards it seems to know no bounds is an incredible challenge. With his father drifting into depression and his younger brother needing constant supervision, Nicky has enough on his hands already but he knows the real value of nature and knows he cannot stand by and see such wilful destruction. A powerful story about the importance of protecting wildlife.
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers of 13+

Reviewed by Julia Eccleshare M.B.EJulia Eccleshare has a lifetime of working within children’s books as a critic, an editor, an author and a commentator.
More reviews by Julia Eccleshare M.B.E
About Brock
Carnegie Medal winning author Anthony McGowan a bleakly poetic tale about one boy’s determination to save a badger cub from the destructive hands of a local gang.
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Brock Synopsis
Carnegie Medal winning author Anthony McGowan a bleakly poetic tale about one boy’s determination to save a badger cub from the destructive hands of a local gang.
When Nicky finds Jezbo and his gang digging up a badger set, there’s not a lot he can do to save them. But one badger cub has escaped – can Nicky save it? Another stunning and moving novella in the spirit of Kes from award-winning Anthony McGowan.
Anthony McGowan’s stunning Barrington Stoke debut The Fall was shortlisted for the Sheffield Children’s Book Award 2012 and won the Coventry Book Award/ Fancy a Quickie Short Novel prize.
The critically acclaimed The Truth of Things quartet is being repackaged into a stunning and cohesive set for 2025 to coincide with the eagerly anticipated new novella The Beck
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008739034 |
| Publication date: |
13th March 2025 |
| Author: |
Anthony McGowan |
| Publisher: |
Barrington Stoke an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
109 pages |
| Series: |
The Truth of Things |
| Suitable For: |
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Anthony McGowan Press Reviews
Brock is both timeless and current, and simple but beautifully written. - Library Mice blog
a very nifty read with some beautiful scene-setting and after the violence some truly heart-warming moments between both the human and non-human characters. Loved loved LOVED it. - Bookauhu's Book Nook blog
Brock is about as lean as you can get, using simple, effective language to keep a great pace while maintaining atmosphere, tension, action, empathy... look, it's just brilliant. - Colin Mulhearn
The author has created a range of characters who are believable - in fact many are probably recognisable from our own lives. The chapters, are relatively short, making it an ideal book for readers who do not have a long attention span or who struggle with reading. However the sparseness and the simplicity of the writing do not detract from what is a good, although at times bleak, story - BOOKS TEENS AND MAGAZINES
Superb book about the beauty of nature and power of love - loved the book, great stuff. - Litforlads blog
This is a book about raw courage with can be both heart-breaking and uplifting - The characters in this book are so genuine, I feel as if I know them - I loved this book and so did my eight year old son. We both read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down once we had started. - The Book Bag blog
Few other writers for the young better understand the pull of the gang and the fear of the bully. It is about why animals are beyond our infantile projections of good and bad... but still deserve human compassion. Don't miss it. - Amanda Craig, The Times
About Anthony McGowan
Anthony McGowan is one of the most widely acclaimed young adult and children’s authors in the UK. His books have won numerous major awards. In 2020, he was awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal for Lark. He was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with Rook and won the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Catalyst Award for Henry Tumour. His YA novel The Knife that Killed Me was made into a critically-lauded film in 2014.
Anthony lives in London, with his wife, two children and dog.
Photo credit Michael Thorn
More About Anthony McGowan