by S F Layzell 
 
Shortlisted Little Rebels Award 2025
 
[Cottonopolis: 19th-century nickname for Manchester, then the centre of the cotton industry.]
A short and pacy chapter book set in the slums of 1840s Little Ireland, Manchester, starring Nellie Doyle whose family are struggling to survive from hand to mouth. A welcome distraction comes in the form of workhouse resident, Chloe Valentine (who is mixed race), offering a belief in magic, friendship and perhaps a little more. A historical portrayal of working class struggle and endurance amidst extreme poverty and inhumane labour conditions. References enslavement and Black emancipation. A rare pre-twentieth-century foregrounding of queer and PoC identities. By debut author, S F Layzell and published by indie, Northodox Press, who elevate writing from Northern England. Age 9-13, Paperback 111pp 
 
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Themes: LGBTQ+