Street Child

LoveReading4Kids Says

Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month June 2016  Twice the winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal, here Berlie Doherty movingly captures the life of an orphan in Victorian London. Based on the true accounts of children whose lives led the famous philanthropist Dr Barnardo to set up his homes for children without families, Street Child is the troubling story of Jim Jarvis who is just a little boy when his mother dies leaving him all alone.

Initially rounded up and taken to the workhouse, Jim soon escapes and finds a way of survival – and some friends. But surviving as a child in such a tough environment is tough. How can Jim stay out of trouble and be safe? Berlie Doherty makes the past come vividly alive in this story that will encourage all young readers to fight injustice. 

Click here to download a specially produced teachers resource to help children get the most from this Collins Modern Classic title.

Reviewed by Julia Eccleshare M.B.E
Julia 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 Street Child

When his mother dies, Jim Jarvis is all alone in the workhouse and is desperate to escape. But, London in the 1860s is a dangerous place for a small boy and life is a constant battle for survival. When Jim finds some friends, he is snatched away and made to work for the cruel Grimy Nick, guarded by his vicious dog, Snipe.

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