Ten-year-old Leo dreams of performing in the West End. His love of dancing is getting him through the Luton heatwave, but his selective mutism is putting his spot in the end-of-summer dance show on the line.
When chatty Richa moves in next door, Leo finds it easy to bond with her. She talks enough for the both of them ... at least to begin with. But when he learns her secret it's clear that Richa needs Leo's support as much as he needs hers.
With Richa's help, will Leo be able to follow his dreams? Or will Leo's inability to talk cost him their friendship?
A heart-warming story of courage and determination in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Thompson, Stewart Foster and Elle McNicoll.
Camilla Chester is a self-published Children’s Author with three successful books for 8-12s: Jarred Dreams, EATS and Thirteenth Wish. Camilla’s debut was shortlisted in the 2015 New Author Prize run by The Literacy Trust and her second book EATS received Highly Commended in Winchester Festival Funny Fiction Award 2017. Camilla is a finalist in the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition 2019 with her fourth book, Darna’s Sky. She is currently writing a fifth novel about a boy with selective mutism entitled Call Me Lion. Camilla received a distinction in the OU Diploma in Creative Writing and Literacy, is a member of The Society of Authors and volunteers for The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Camilla writes on commission for Serial Mash and works freelance for the Discover Children’s Story Centre in London. In addition to writing, Camilla has a small dog-walking business and lives with her husband and two children in Hertfordshire, England. Camilla’s long term aim is to become a hybrid author and is due to have an adult short-story entitled Terms and Conditions published in the 2020 Punch Anthology.