His willingness to accept Nicky’s protection of him is in itself part of his care for Nicky: his understanding that Nicky’s care for him means he needs to feel he has protected him from pain.

I won't expand on the plot any more for fear of spoiling Lark for new readers, but I will add that I was extremely moved by the last few chapters. When they head for a trek across the moors to take their minds off everything, a series of unforeseen circumstances leaves the brothers in a vulnerable and very dangerous position. I worked with a very nice woman once who always read the last page of a book before she started reading - anathema to me, I rarely even read the cover blurb, because one of my pet hates is finding something out before I’ve read the book, seen the film, heard the whole story etc. As someone who has a sibling with a disability, it hit some visceral feelings not only in terms of anticipated grief and loss, but also because the prospect of being able to care for a sibling right through to the end is in itself a sort of reassuring fantasy.But, dear reader, I am so fond of these characters that by halfway through the book I had to know how things would turn out, so I hereby confess at having a quick peep! We are also planning a special event for children with dyslexia and based on today's messages I will do my best to run it on a Saturday too ☺️ .

Lark is both a ‘literary’ book and an ‘accessible’ book, and it is a pleasure to see the Carnegie Medal recognise this. Just when things couldn’t possibly get worse they do and you don’t know if they will make it home again.

Published by Barrington Stoke the book is dyslexia friendly so the chapters (and the book itself) are short. We're always happy to answer any questions or queries you might have, please get in touch using one of the methods below.