A heartfelt story exploring the power of friendships, the unbreakable bonds of the family, and finding you own way, despite the obstacles life constantly throws in one’s path.
A very touching and a poignant story about family, friends and finding you own way, despite the obstacles life constantly throws in one’s path.
The First Year follows on directly from Matt Goodfellow’s first book, beginning from the same moment we left Nate at the end of Year 6.
The first year in a secondary school is not easy and we walk beside Nate as he finds new friends, old enemies, and learns to deal with his demons.
But then his life is turned upside down, when his estranged father appears out of the blue and wants to get to know his son. Nate decides to open himself to new possibilities, but he also takes a risk that his hopes might come crashing down around him.
It’s a heartfelt and emotional story exploring the power of friendships and the unbreakable bonds of the family.
Suitable for children aged 9 to 12.
Excellent continuation following Nate as he navigates Year 7, bullies and strict teachers, new friends, deprivation at home and a long-absent family member coming out of the woodwork. Beautifully told in verse, it will envelop readers aged 10-13.
Excellent continuation following a sympathetic family.
Adored The Final Year, snapped this sequel up. It could be read in isolation, but knowing Nate's history - his small brother's heart problem, his experiences in Year 6 with a bully and friends, an inspiring teacher, his struggling mum, his temper - is useful background.
Nate is now starting Year 7. He still tells us his story in verse, and this year, while his young brother has recovered from surgery, Nate has a lot going on. There's the new school, his old bully is there too though Nate has good friends (old AND new) with him that help him manage his temper (despite a strict and unsympathetic teacher). Mum is still going down the Bingo a lot. And now a long-absent family member is making an appearance and turning everything on its head.
You just want to hug Nate and his brothers. Certainly I do as an adult reader. I imagine those his age will feel much more like Nate is one of them: he is articulate and his experiences will hit home.
We get more insight into Nate's family history, his parents in particular. We see Nate being a parent and still needing to be parented. We see new friendships on his horizon and the possibility of his passions being fulfilled in future years. We see the drudgery of poverty and the effort it takes to work against it.
It's a fantastic sequel, loved the way Goodfellow has chosen to present his writing and in Nate's mature yet still young voice. It was very moving as Nate navigates family dilemmas and his new adolescent school world.
A whizz of a book to get through, you'll not want Year 7 to end. For ages 10-13.
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The First Year is a wonderful read and an amazing sequel to The Final Year. Just like the Final Year, it is written in free verse and is another fabulous book by Matt Goodyear. It is a very powerful and uplifting read and deals with many themes that can be explored further with pupils. It is a perfect read for ages 10-13.
Nate is finishing primary school and is about to start secondary school along with his two friends. It is an emotional read full of hope but also some sadness; it allows the reader to really get inside the head of an eleven /twelve-year-old and to be able to share and empathise with their thoughts and feelings. The transition to the new school is a difficult one and Nate is often misunderstood and finds some of his peers tricky to handle. When his feelings become difficult to handle, his emotions get the better of him and he refers to his emotional response and anger as The Beast. The support that Nate experienced at primary school isn’t the same at secondary school and he feels misunderstood by those around him. The book explores leaving the safety of familiar surroundings and dealing with change through the eyes of Nate, which makes it all the more powerful. Changing relationships at home, along with a new figure entering his life are also explored.
There are some wonderful themes such as relationships, change, family, friendship, life, growing up threaded through the book as well as some wonderful quotations and perceptions that can be explored with children and used for discussion:
The peaks and troughs of life.
There is no gilded doorway you walk through
That leads to a horizon of eternal happiness.
Friendships, family, any sort of relationships,
You’re dealing with human beings.
This is a superb read which will become a firm favourite with many children.
As powerful and emotional as its predecessor, The First Year is a book that exceeds expectations.
In Matt Goodfellow’s hotly anticipated sequel, The First Year, we meet Nate exactly where we left him, at the end of Year 6. After a challenging year, it looks like things are looking up for Nate and his family.
Through themes of family and friendship, the author shines a light on an underrepresented area of society. The setting is unmistakably northern and disadvantaged, but the characters are rich in love and support for each other. They might not have much, but the boys are adored and cared for, and the reader is left in no doubt of that. Goodfellow understands the people and places he writes about. They leap off the page, and we feel an instant connection.
The transition to Secondary is convincingly depicted. The giant, soulless school is in stark contrast to the warm and nurturing environment of his Primary. Muna, a new friend comments “All they care about is what we know, they ain’t interested in us”. Nate and his friends have each other though. In a particularly moving scene, after the beast has made a reappearance, we find the friends walking home together and before they part “four hands go on top of each other”. A sign of solidarity.
The verse format is incredibly accessible. Every word is thoughtfully placed on the page with many scenes elevated by Joe Todd-Stanton’s striking illustrations. I was delighted to return to Nate’s world. As powerful and emotional as its predecessor, The First Year is a book that exceeds expectations.
My word, Matt Goodfellow can bring a story to life. After the wonderful success of The Final Year, I think many of us were eagerly awaiting the next part of the story. Nate is back for his first year of high school and it is a tumultuous one for sure.
My word, Matt Goodfellow can bring a story to life. After the wonderful success of The Final Year, I think many of us were eagerly awaiting the next part of the story. Nate is back for his first year of high school and it is a tumultuous one for sure.
Trying to keep his emotions at bay since dealing with younger brother Dylan’s, hospital stay, the worry over money, food and the extra responsibilities he has for his brothers…it’s a lot!
Nate has this inner strength and the love he has for his family is incredible, even when faced with hardships. Over the course of his first year in secondary school, Nate adapts to new situations, new teachers and the finality of leaving primary school. The appearance of his father adds a new dimension to his life, and it causes some powerful emotions throughout the entire family.
Dare I say it, but this story feels more powerful than The Final Year. Here we see how different primary is to secondary and while there are still good and caring staff, they certainly don’t try to get to know you before tainting you with a bad behaviour brush. Turner is worse than ever, and they all come to blows with him- even Muna, their new friend.
Nate’s friends are the best out there and they can calm him down, have his back and just be themselves together. I love the recognition at the end for Nate using his voice and being celebrated for it!