Robin

LoveReading4Kids Says

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.

Reviewed by Louise Johns-Shepherd
Louise is the Chief Executive of The Kids Network, a charity supporting children through mentoring to feel happy and confident about themselves and their futures.
More reviews by Louise Johns-Shepherd

About Robin

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.

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