Runaways by EL Norry

Visiting Gleebooks the other day I spied this book which was published in 2025. I had not heard of the author EL Norry but the cover looked intriguing.

I would call this a collision story. Dreadful things have happened to these two kids who come from very different backgrounds, but life events mean that they do meet or as I have said collide.

July has been in foster care on and off but recently she has moved back with her mother. Mum was caught up in drugs and alcohol, but she has been on a program, now has a job and has a plan for further study. Things should be good for July but then her mum invites an old (and dangerous) friend to stay and July is sure her mother will go back to her old habits, so July runs away hoping to find the last foster carer who was kind and understanding.

Jamie's dad has recently left the family and now his mum has moved in with a wealthy man called Garrett. Jamie is sure Garrett does not like him and now his mum has decided he will attend a posh school which means he won't be with his true friends. As the story begins Mum has gone away for a few days and Jamie is left with Garrett. Things do not go well and then Garrett bluntly tells Jamie that his dad is not just away - he is in jail. Jamie is furious and he pushes Garrett down the stairs at home. Convinced Garrett is now dead, Jamie runs away.

The voices of the two kids in this book are set out in two different fonts. It does take a long time in the story for these kids to meet each other and of course neither of them is prepared to share the truth about why they are now in Bournemouth. As is often the scenario for stories involving running away, over the course of the story July has her belongings stolen and later Jamie's money, bag and shoes go too. 

I read Runaways in one sitting. It is an action-packed story that races towards an expected but not too predictable or saccharine happy ending. 

Publisher blurb: Jamie and July are both eleven-year-olds living in London – but they have very different lives. They meet for the first time at Waterloo Station in the last week of the holidays. They are both desperate to get away from home. July is really worried about her unreliable mum - she needs to get help. Jamie has done something terrible - and left in a panic. Despite their worries, the sun is shining and, as they escape everything they've left behind in the city, Jamie and July can't help but sense adventure in the air. But running away isn't just harmless summertime fun. What are they really trying to escape? And will either Jamie or July find a place that finally feels like home?

July and Jamie learn some hard truths about life, love, the fallibility of parents and the strength of those they can really trust. Friendship and finding your way in life isn’t necessarily easy but there is always hope. Scope for Imagination

Alternating chapters gives each child a voice, allowing the reader to empathise with their actions as they experience the potential pitfalls and dangers of leaving home- being exploited, robbed, finding somewhere safe… E L Norry manages to handle these threats in an age appropriate way yet leaves the reader in no doubt as to how real these dangers are. However, this story is ultimately one of hope, one with a (two!) happy ending which leaves the reader uplifted and optimistic for Jamie and July’s futures.  I really hope this book gains the recognition it deserves. Beautifully written, deeply moving, it is essential reading for everyone.  Through the Bookshelf

About EL (Emma) Norry: I’m an author based in Bournemouth. I write fiction and non-fiction for 8-14 year olds (sometimes called MG, middle-grade). I also write many other things, including a couple of episodes of the UK soap opera, EastEnders. ... As a child, I grew up in the care system. I was born in Cardiff, Wales but moved around a lot. .... I’m passionate about diversity and inclusion and showing children that authors can come from different backgrounds.

Companion books:

Bird and Sugar Boy

Raven Winter

Charlie and Me 421 Miles from Home

Runaways

Talking to Alaska

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deborah Abela

 

This is the second time I have read this book and the second time I have talked about it here on my blog. After I read Deborah Abela's latest book - The Book of Wondrous Possibilities -  I had my eye out for The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen which I read back in 2010. By chance I spied a copy at a recent charity book sale and it was only $2. I am happy to say, though, this book is still in print so you can buy a copy for yourself, your reading companion and your school library. It may already be there because it was a CBCA Notable in 2010.

I suggest you begin by reading my previous post. In this new post I am just going to quote some of the text to give you a flavour of this wonderful rich writing:

Lucien B Crook (the aptly named villian): "His black hair was waxed into a neatly coiffed wave and sat obediently beneath a stiff hat. He stood tall. Some might have described him as good-looking. His trim face was cleanly shaven except for a pencil-thin moustache drawing a neat line beneath his tapered nose."

Take a minute to think about the word choices used here by Deborah Abela: coiffed, obediently, stiff, pencil-thin, tapered nose. 

Mrs Sneed (teacher) : "was a tall, colourless woman, except for the splatter of red paint now on her dress, parts of her face and tightly wound hair. Even her silhouette was harsh, a collection of strict and measured lines. She likes maths not children."

The opening sentence of this book is brilliant: "The girl lay in her coffin with a faint smile on her powder-white face. She had been carefully laid out. Gentle hands smoothed down her white silk dress,k combed her soft curls and brushed on her make-up so that her cheeks look like two faintly pink cherry blossoms."

Mayor Finnigus Bog "wasn't a thin man and, in point of fact, he'd been called, in not-so-polite circles, pudgy, rotund, even chubby. Some say he was worn into shortness by the controlling nature of his wife. Others said it was because his pockets were heavy from the weight of too much money."

This is a story that will quickly become a family favourite. Kids' Book Review

This is a wonderful book and Abela herself is the real magician. Sandy Fussell

A Sea of Stories by Sylvia Bishop illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

Roo goes to stay with grandpa for a few days. He lives in a small cottage by the sea with a wonderful view of the beach and a nearby lighthouse. In his younger days Grandpa was a fisherman and over time he has collected all sorts of interesting objects which now fill his house. Near Grandpa's house there is a small cove. It is a place Roo loves to visit but sadly Grandpa can no longer manage to clamber down the rough path.

Roo and her Grandpa do enjoy their day - playing hide and seek. In the late afternoon they settle down inside and Grandpa begins to tell Roo the most marvellous stories, true stories, using the curious objects in his collection. He begins with a gold dubloon which could be pirate treasure. 

Over the following days Grandpa shares lots of stories but Roo keeps thinking about the Cove. Grandpa loved visiting the cove and so many of his stories are set there, plus it was his favourite place to view the sun setting. Roo is a problem solver and a kind girl. When her parents return she explains the problem and her proposed solution. 

"They parked the car in the Market Square, and went to ask for help. Before long a great crew of people had assembled, carrying spades and buckets and wood and rope and tools of all sorts and sizes."

I will leave you to imagine the next scene and also to imagine the happy ending to this story. You will need to take time on the last page because there is something important and very poignant in the illustration. 

This poignant tale about a girl’s touching relationship with her grandfather is ideal for children who are moving on from picture books. Perfect to explore the concept of the past, it beautifully celebrates the value of sharing stories and memories. The vibrant, full-page illustrations have a dynamic, painterly quality and successfully evoke the wildness and beauty of the coast, bringing the text to life.  Book Trust

The illustrations are delightful, airy and with a frothy texture evoking the soft wildness of the sea in their special cove, and the scenes with the garden and the sea are just so evocative you can smell the salt and green leaves. Little Fae

This book is from a series published by Little Tiger either called Stripes of Colour Fiction. I talked about Little Rabbit's Big Surprise earlier. I really do highly recommend this series for independent reading and also as books to read aloud in a family. A Sea of Stories is aimed at a slightly older audience of 6+. The colour illustrations are especially fabulous. Paddy Donnelly is a children's picture book illustrator and author, originally from Ireland and now based in Belgium. His art reminds me of Salvatore Rubbino and especially the book Ride the Wind. 

You can see more art from this book here. 

And here are some of his books:

The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell illustrated by Rose Northey

"The princess lived in a tower by the sea. She wasn't sad and she wasn't stuck."

Her tower home is a lighthouse. The princess loves to fish, collect shells, swim and make paper planes. 

"She wasn't even lonely ... Well maybe a little bit."

One day during a wild storm, she sees a young boy in a little boat and he is in danger. When she pulls him to the shore the boy, who has just been rescued, asks the princess - "Do you need rescuing from the tower?"

Are you thinking of Rapunzel? Does she need rescuing or is there another possible outcome for this new fairy tale? I am not going to spoil the story but I can say ...  And yes they both lived ...

Happily ever after

My wonderful "library" friend gave me this book for my birthday last week because she knows I LOVE lighthouses and I believe in fairy tales. This book was the most perfect present ever!

The Lighthouse Princess won The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award from New Zealand. Here is the web site for Rose Northey who is a performance poet. Susan Wardell is an anthropologist and also an poet. Here is an interview with Susan where she talks about writing this book. 

The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award was established in 2009. The award aims to encourage the publication of new and exciting high-quality picture books from new New Zealand illustrators. ... The award is open only to previously unpublished illustrators.

Take a close look at the cover of this book - I love the way it shows the confidence of the princess and the wild waves that surround her lighthouse. But the illustration below there is a hint about her wishes and dreams. 

Here are some versions of Rapunzel which you might like to explore.  I would also be tempted to revisit The Paperbag Princess and perhaps The Tough Princess along with lots of picture books about living in a lighthouse.

Charlie and Tyler at the Seaside by Helen Craig

Tuesday Treasure

Charlie (country mouse) receives a letter from his friend Tyler (city mouse) suggesting they meet for an exciting DAY AT THE SEASIDE. Charlie does not crave excitement but he is a loyal friend. The pair meet at the oak tree and Mrs Pigeon gives them a ride to the seaside in her postbag. On arrival they see a small motorboat. They climb on board and the boat takes off. Have you seen the movie Stuart Little and the scene with the remote controlled boats? A boy on the shore has the controls for the little motor boat. Luckily Charlie and Tyler are able to scramble to safety as the boat crashes into some rocks. 

On the beach Tyler finds treasure - a toy sword and a metal badge which he can use a shield. Charlie finds a little bell. This is a very English seaside resort and so their next stop is the fun pier with rides, a puppet show and the hall of mirrors. Lunch is easy to find as careless humans drop pieces of sausage, popcorn, toffee apple and chips. 

The day is going really well but then disaster strikes. A huge bird, possibly a sea eagle, swoops down and grabs Tyler. Charlie is desperate to help. Remember the treasures from the beach? Tyler uses his sword and Charlie uses his bell and Tyler is rescued from the cliff top nest. 

"Safe and sound at Charlie's home, they sat on the porch and talked over what happened. 'What a fine adventure we had!' said Tyler. Charlie wasn't so sure. However, on one thing they did agree - they had both been terribly, terribly BRAVE!"

Helen Craig is a master of mice and other small creatures. I'm sure you are familiar with her Angelina books. I first saw her work in the Margaret Mahy book Jam and then in my former school library we had Susie and Alfred: The Night of the Paperbag Monsters and the sequel Susie and Alfred: A Welcome for Annie.

Helen Craig wrote two books about Charlie (country mouse) and Tyler (city mouse) but sadly both are out of print. 

There are lots of books where you can meet the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. One of my favourites is The Country Mouse by Louise Pfanner. Sadly I do not own a copy so I cannot share an image of the cover here with you. Here are some others worth seeking out:

Stanley's stick by John Hegley illustrated by Neil Layton

A stick can be .... a whistle, a banana, a match, or even a stickosaurus. 

A stick can be a fishing rod to share with a friend - this is my favourite page.

We see Stanley enjoying his stick and all the games of his wonderful imagination but then something rather surprising happens. On the family holiday to the seaside Stanley walks down to the edge of the water.

"Maybe the boy thinks it is time for the stick to be taken for someone else to enjoy? 
Stanley hurls his stick into the wide tide.
Gosh.
What a tiny splosh for something that has been so big in Stanley's days."

Now Stanley is stickless but not for long. Stanley walks along the beach looking at the treasures that have washed up on the shoreline. He finds a different stick.

A stick can be a saxophone, a telescope, a fantastick!

The review from The Times is quoted on the cover: I agree with the reviewer who says this book is  "everything a picture book should be."

Stanley's stick was first published in 2012 but it is still available in paperback. Here is an excellent video of the whole book. Here are some other books illustrated by Neil Layton.

If you want a gorgeously delicious, funny and charming slice of inspiration then look no further than Stanley’s Stick by John Hegley,illustrated by Neal Layton. Playing by the Book

John Hegley is a poet and the language of this book certainly shows his love of words:

"And four times now he has used it to pick up slugs from the pathway, platform and pavement, thus saving them from a fate worse than feet."

Look at all these words that start with S

"So here is Stanley standing on the station taking his stick for a short stay at the side of the sea with his mum and dad. ... Down at the sea Stanley goes down to the side of the tide. His folks take stock of Stanley standing in the sand, stick in hand. What is he doing?"

"The sea picks up the stick and tucks it into itself."

Here are some other books about sticks and imaginative play:

Storm Whale by Sarah Brennan illustrated by Jane Tanner

Dark as a demon, dull of eye,

Waiting in silence to drift ... or die

Whales and sharks are fascinating creatures and since I work in a school beside the sea these are topics which each fill entire shelves in our school library.

Storm Whale is a beautiful book told in verse.  I would use this with an older group so I find it curious that the publisher lists ages 4-8.  I do hope to see it on the CBCA short list or Notable list for 2018.  I am excited to see Storm Whale on the nomination list for the Kate Greenaway Medal.  Also on this list you will find several other Australian titles including Home in the rain by Bob Graham.

The in Storm Whale imagery is confronting at times and also beautiful :

"Hair flew wild like a brumby's tail ...
And there, on the beach, lay the stranded whale."

"Casting prayers to the wild wet air,
Which wouldn't listen and couldn't care."

The children make a desperate attempt to save the stranded whale but eventually darkness forces them back to their holiday house.  After a restless night, when no one sleeps, the morning brings calm and happy news.  I love the way words like golden peach can so beautifully lift the mood.

"Morning rose like a golden peach,
Glowing over the wide white beach."

Here is a set of teachers notes from the publisher. I would pair this book with The snail and the whale by Julia Donaldson, The storm whale by Benji Davies, The whales' song by Dyan Sheldon and Stranded by Jan Ramage.

I have been a huge fan of Jane Tanner ever since I saw her books Drac and the Gremlin and Wolf.  Looking at all the books I have mentioned in this post I can see there are several books I need to talk about in the coming weeks including this really special one The Whales Song which also features an exquisitely lyrical text.

Driftwood dragons and other seaside poems by Tyne Brown illustrated by Tamara Thiebaux Heikalo

There are many reasons I need to mention this book.  I do not have enough poetry books in my blog, I live near the sea and my school and school library are near the sea.  The ocean forms a major backdrop to the childhood of every child who visits my library and finally a large part of my recent trip was spent near the sea on the East Coasts of America and Canada and the south coast of England.

The author of this book, Tyne Brown, lives in Nova Scotia.  Driftwood Dragons and other seaside poems is a collection of 34 poems covering many different aspects of the seaside experience from whales, to the moon, the sand and the waves. 

Here is one about clouds – it paints a lovely word picture :

Shape Shifters

Clouds

drift, shift,

spread, lift,

zoom, loom,

scud, plume,

curl, swirl,

roll, twirl,

sweep, heap,

wisp and creep.

But when those

Shape shifters,

Snow spreaders,

Hail shedders

Disappear –

The sailing is clear!

This book also has gentle wash illustrations by Tamara Thiebaux Heikalo.

The final poem in the collection is one that really speaks to me.  Here is an extract :

Touch a Wish

….If you could touch a poem,

A wish, a hope a song,

Would you touch them gently,

Let them go where they belong?

If you could hear the sunrise

As it spreads above the sea,

What a different kind of world

This world would surely be.

Here is a review of this book. 

The Man whose Mother was a Pirate by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain

“The little man could only stare. He hadn’t dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn’t dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn’t thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them.”

These lines continue to ring through my ears years after the first time I read The Man whose Mother was a pirate by Margaret Mahy to a class of Grade One children. The imagery and alliteration are perfect. I always include this book in my story bag when we explore this talented writer from New Zealand.

Margaret Mahy is a true master of language. This is one of the reasons I often ponder our good fortune of speaking English in Australia and sharing this with so many countries in the world. This gives us enormous quantities of quality children’s books from which to find our favorites.

The little man in this story has never seen the sea even though is mother is a pirate. One day he decides to dispense with his sensible brown suit and shoes, his books of figures and routines and along with his mother travel to see the sea. His boss gives him two weeks leave with the threat that if he fails to return he will be replaced by a computer! This is especially funny when you realize this book was first published in 1985.

Loading his mother into a wheelbarrow they set off for the sea. His mother tries to tell the little man about the sea but her words cannot fully prepare him for the wonder of it. There are of course some obstacles along the way. At one point they need to use a kite to fly over a river. Then they meet a pessimist who warns “The wonderful things are never as wonderful as you hope they’ll be. The sea is less warm, the joke less funny, the taste is never as good as the smell.” But they are determined to travel on. Suddenly as they come over the hill the little man sees the sea.

They join a rosy sea captain and the little man finally discovers his true destiny and his real name – Sailor Sam. Needless to say he does not go back to the office. In the final scene Sam sends a letter to his boss in a green glass bottle. “Having a wonderful time … Why don’t you run off to sea, too?” We have a huge collection of books by Margaret Mahy in our school library - why not borrow one today?