"One boy battles to beat the developers and the bullies to save The Beck."
March 2025 Book of the Month
It is becoming difficult to find fresh superlatives to describe Anthony McGowan’s writing, but The Beck, his latest accessible novel for Barrington Stoke, is an absolutely pitch perfect delight. Suitable for an audience that will range from mature Year 6’s who love to read about those just a bit older, right through to secondary readers of any age or indeed adult readers, who will get just as much pleasure from it.
Set in a very specific and real location, as the author explains in the foreword, the Leeds of his youth is the inspiration for the story of Kyle a thirteen-year-old who finds himself uncomfortably forced to spend time with his grandad when his parents have to attend mysterious ‘appointments’. But he gets a surprise when he discovers grandad is now the owner of a spectacularly ugly three- legged rescue dog called "Rude Word" and then is taken on a walk to the 'Beck' - an ancient local stream and is introduced to the amazing wildlife there.
The beck is only just recovering from years of neglect and pollution but the wildlife which has returned is now threatened by development. Grandad also introduces his new neighbour Karthi who tentatively becomes a friend and shares their outrage even if she is dubious about the legality of Grandad’s plans to save the beck. Encounters with security guards and school bullies, along with a race against time when grandad falls ill, really challenge Kyle to step up to the mark and we see what a difference has been made to him by these events.
These are all characters that leap off the page and straight into your heart. There is an authentic gritty reality underlying the humour, but ultimately this is a celebration of both intergenerational familial love and of the nature in our own backyard. Simply wonderful!
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From Carnegie Medal winning author Anthony McGowan comes an environmental tale packed full of his signature grit, heart and humour, as Kyle and his grandad execute a plan to save the local beck.
Kyle is less than pleased about getting dumped at his eccentric old grandad's for the day, but a whole new world opens up to him when he's introduced to the marvels that can be found in the beck at the bottom of his grandad's garden. Once filthy and full of rubbish, the beck has been cleaned up and is now full of amazing creatures. But this magical world is under threat from a new development. Kyle's grandad is determined to stop the builders, but when he falls ill, Kyle decides to carry out the plan himself, finding courage and new friends along the way.
With cover artwork by David Wardle.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 9.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Beck and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
The Beck features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Stories about Family and Friends, Animal Stories, Romance / Relationship Stories, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 11+, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Teens, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
The Beck is available in Paperback
The Beck was written by Anthony McGowan and published by Barrington Stoke an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Beck has 141 pages
£7.19
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