"A tender, wintry story threaded through with magic, some sadness, and the quiet resilience of nature."
Sarah Ann Juckes’s Robin is a tender, wintry story threaded through with magic, some sadness, and the quiet resilience of nature. It is a novel about finding one’s voice amid silence, and discovering that love, like the forest, is vast, tangled, and full of quiet magic.
The story follows Eddie, a boy who has always been “good”. He is always careful, considerate, and trying to be unnoticed because he wants to support his family through the illness of his sibling. Juckes captures with sensitivity the unspoken strain that illness can place on families: the silences, the bottled-up emotions, and the pressure to be the child who doesn’t cause trouble.
When Eddie is sent to stay with his uncle whilst his sister faces an operation, he finds himself in a forest alive with whispering trees and ancient secrets and the story takes on a gentle fantastical edge. Among the snow-laden branches, Eddie encounters Mari, a mysterious monster-hunting warrior, and her companion, the Robin. Mari and Robin are both guide and mirror, helping Eddie uncover his own strength and voice. Through their friendship, he learns that feelings, even anger and fear, have their place, and that being “good” all the time isn’t the same as being true to oneself.
As Eddie finds his literal and emotional voice in the school choir and a snowstorm moves in, the novel unfolds into an exploration of memory, storytelling, and the healing power of nature. The forest becomes a metaphor for connection: just as trees intertwine through roots and shared soil, so too do people, stories, and histories sustain one another. Juckes's prose evokes a tangible sense of the cold and the hush of winter woods, while reminding readers that warmth often comes from unexpected places, from friendship, music, and imagination.
Linde Faas’s illustrations deepen the sense of wonder, their ethereal textures and wintry palette perfectly matching the novel’s mood. Her depictions of the forest and the small, luminous Robin infuse the pages with life and light.
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Courage starts small . . . discover the power of your own voice in a timeless winter's tale of family, hope and understanding, from the critically-acclaimed Sarah Ann Juckes, for fans of R.J. Palacio and Patrick Ness.
'A poignant, lyrical story showing that Nature sometimes answers when no-one else can' Lui Sit
'Agorgeous book. Eddie's story will stay with readers long after they close the final page'Bookseller
Eddie feels invisible - his sister Scarlet isn't well and nobody seems to remember that he's here. Out in the forest, as the ice hardens and winter gets deeper, the world is quiet. But there's a monster deep among the trees - a monster that's growing with every sad and angry thought Eddie says out loud. When a little red bird takes him to meet Mari, a strange and fierce girl with blurred edges just like him, she shows Eddie how to be loud, how to make new friends at school and enjoy the music he loves again. As Scarlet's big operation approaches and Eddie gathers his courage to finally be heard, will he find his way back through the snow and put the monster to rest once and for all?
Capturing the rare beauty of winter's silence, Sarah Ann Juckes' powerful exploration of the experience of child illness, the healing power of nature, and the joy of finding hope is a future classic to be savoured every winter, beautifully illustrated by Linde Faas.
Praise for Sarah Ann Juckes
'A haunting and lyrical portrait of courage, family and the power of nature. A spellbinding tale that is sure to echo in your heart' Struan Murray on Robin
'Sublime . . . a love song to nature' Joseph Elliott on Robin
'Will break your heart and mend it together again' ? Piers Torday on The Hunt for the Nightingale
'Full of hope, beauty & ultimately a healing song to nature' ? Hannah Gold on The Hunt for the Nightingale
'An incredibly moving story of feeling lost and finding your way again' ? Lisa Thompson on The Hunt for the Nightingale
'An iridescent story that shines with hope and love' ? Katya Balen on The Night Animals
'A beautiful story about ghosts, friendship, and the courage it takes to ask for help' ? Emma Carroll on The Night Animals
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Robin and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Robin features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, Stories about Family and Friends, Animal Stories, PSHE: Health , Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Body and health
Robin is available in Paperback, Hardback
Robin was written by Sarah Ann Juckes and published by Simon & Schuster Children's an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK
Robin has 368 pages
£7.19
