SuitabookFamily change and illness
Joff’s father is ill, his mother is working, and his summer feels transformed.
Loading your next page
Book details
These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.
David Almond - Author
This is a coming-of-age story about a boy navigating family disruption, curiosity and an unsettling local legend. Its appeal appears to lie in the meeting of everyday summer life with friendship, fear and magical possibility.
Book Brief
Sign in to see how this book fits your child and family preferences.
Sign in for personalised guidanceThis is a coming-of-age story about a boy navigating family disruption, curiosity and an unsettling local legend. Its appeal appears to lie in the meeting of everyday summer life with friendship, fear and magical possibility.
Joff’s father is ill, his mother is working, and his summer feels transformed.
Joff explores with Jet but is told not to explore the Chapel of Doom; warning signs mark the boundary.
Consider whether your child would welcome a story involving an ill father, a working mother, warning signs, a crumbling chapel, fear and a possibly magical discovery.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the book’s treatment of its main themes is not yet firm enough; some draft conclusions still depend on unresolved evidence.
Anything not established here remains open; it is not being treated as absent or safe.