Song From Somewhere Else - Softcover

A.F. Harrold

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1408884755 ISBN 13: 9781408884751

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2017

Synopsis

Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal Frank doesn't know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He's big, he's weird and he smells - or so everyone in Frank's class thinks. And yet, there's something nice about Nick's house. There's strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever. But there's more to Nick, and to his house, than meets the eye, and soon Frank realises she isn't the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help ... A poignant, darkly comic and deeply moving story about the power of the extraordinary, and finding friendship where you least expect it. Written by the author of the critically acclaimed The Imaginary and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Levi Pinfold, this is perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman.

About this title

About the Author:

A.F. Harrold is an English poet who writes and performs for adults and children. He spends his time showing off on stage, writing poems and books, and stroking his beard (it helps churn the ideas). He is the author of the Fizzlebert Stump series and the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal longlisted The Imaginary, illustrated by Emily Gravett. He lives in Reading with a stand-up comedian and two cats. Levi Pinfold has been drawing from imagination for as long as he can remember. His published picture books are The Django, Black Dog and Greenling. Black Dog won the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2013. Born in the Forest of Dean, he has somehow found himself living in northern NSW, Australia. He likes paintings, books, music, and some cats.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–6—Strong characterizations and a good dose of spookiness are standouts in this illustrated novel. After a strange boy named Nick rescues her from bullies, Frank begins a cautious friendship with her unpopular classmate. When she hears mysterious and beautiful music coming from Nick's cellar, Frank secretly investigates. She discovers a "leechway" that acts as a door to alternate realities. Nick's nonhuman mother lives in one of them; so do creepy "stick-creatures" who seem eager to invade our world. The two kids play heroic, save-the-world roles in an action-packed climax, but there's just as much tension in the carefully paced plot that leads up to it. Third-person narration conveys Frank's inner thoughts and perceptions, revealing a tentative, flawed, but quite likable protagonist. Amusing inner dialogues with her nervous stomach show how the girl struggles with self-esteem, courage, and ethical choices. She comes through bravely against the stick-figures, but there's a different, equally satisfying triumph in a final scene where she defends a child from bullies. The eeriness builds slowly as Frank gradually learns more about the leechway. The ominous mood is aided by atmospheric black-and-white drawings that capture the shadowy menace creeping into Frank's world. VERDICT Hand to fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Holly Black's Doll Bones, and other books that balance scariness and substance.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1408884755
• ISBN 13: 9781408884751
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240