by Sally Gardner
 
Carnegie Winner 2013 Costa Winner 2012

"What if the football hadn't gone over the wall. What if Hector had never gone looking for it. What if he hadn't kept the dark secret to himself..." In 1950s Britain, the brutish forces of the Motherland has taken over. But one child and his grandfather are ready to take a stand... A truly dazzling piece of dystopian fiction which takes an absolute grip of your heart. We're giving nothing away about the plot here, but a couple of points of interest beyond the exceptional storytelling: the protagonist, like the author, has dyslexia (visit the amazing website here http://www.maggotmoon.com/dyslexia.php - to 'see' what Sally sees); this book includes perhaps the most tender same-sex kiss we have sent yet in a YA novel. Age 13+, paperback 278pp
 
Themes: LGBTQ+