Lonely Leo dreams of being a hero with the crowds cheering him on – like a Roman gladiator. Secretly, what he really wants is to be a hero in real life. But Leo is always seen as an outsider by the other boys in his class. When they surprise him by asking him to join their gang he accepts eagerly only to find that he can’t be a member until he does something to show that he is brave. Leo knows that the job he is asked to do is wrong. What choice should he make? Leo makes a bad choice but when the little dog Jack Pepper goes missing Leo has a second chance to show that he can be a true hero. A touching story which captures the pain of being an outsider.
An accident at school brings quiet, imaginative Leo to the attention of the popular crowd but their expectations have him misbehaving and cause him to lose his best friend, George, so when a neighbor's dog is trapped by a meteor strike Leo becomes. a real hero in hopes of setting things right.
beautifully written and moving without being mawkish. A talent to watch. - The Bookseller Buyers Guide
touching, reflective and lyrical. - Sunday Times, Culture
Sarah Lean's graceful, miraculous writing will have you weeping one moment and rejoicing the next. - Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan
Author
About Sarah Lean
One of the World Book Day 2014 Authors Sarah Lean grew up in Wells, Somerset but now lives in Dorset with her husband, son and dog. She has worked as a pageplanner for a newspaper, a stencil-maker and a gardener, amongst various other things. She gained a first class English degree and became a primary school teacher before returning to complete an MA in Creative and Critical Writing with University of Winchester.
