George is dreading it. But his dad has been looking forward to him joining him in the local coal mine. After all, his uncles worked in the mine too, along with many others in their tiny English town. This included many children even younger than George, and his uncle Jake liked to remind him of it.

But George would much rather stay at school. He was good at his letters and writing, and even helped his teacher with the younger children. He even dared to imagine other ways to help his family put food on the table, that didn’t include the mine.

When the day came, and his insides swirled, George climbed down the ladder into the dark mine after his father. He was lucky in one way, to be working alongside his dad as he dug out the coal in the walls in the mine. He tried to take his mind elsewhere, to avoid the thoughts of a explosion that took many lives years before. This build up of gases and blast also killed one of his uncles. No one spoke of it now.

George had found a book that had belonged to Uncle Mal, and wondered whether he too wished for more in life than the mine. The book filled his thoughts down in the dark, and he even thought he saw something from it in the darkness? It made his heart beat faster, but little did George know there was an even bigger threat on its way.

Based on a true event in a Yorkshire mine, The Storm and the Minotaur perfectly captures a snapshot of time in 1830’s Yorkshire. Life is simple but hard, with children as young as six years old descending into a coal mine daily for work.

Main character George is a gentle soul, wanting more in life than the generations before him, but is trapped by expectation and poverty. Luckily this story’s ending has a much better outcome than the tragic real life event it is based on, but the thought of children so young working in such a dangerous environment is tragic in itself.

Written with young dyslexic readers in mind, the text is set out clearly on the page, with paragraphs set slightly apart, and illustrations to break up the story. These illustrations capture the scenes of George’s life both outside and inside the mine.

At only 85 pages, this is a quick read, but skillfully holds a complete story of poverty, coal mining, expectation, fear, courage and finally hope for a better future.

Barrington Stoke specialise in books for Dyslexic readers, which are also perfect for reluctant readers or those preferring a succinct format.

Although the thought of such young children needing to work this way to help their families survive is a disturbing one, I really enjoyed The Storm and the Minotaur.

Author – Lucy Strange

Illustrator – Pam Smy

Dyslexic Title – Reading Age 8 – Interest Age 9+

See more titles for Dyslexic or Reluctant Readers here

(2023, Barrinton Stoke, Dyslexic, Dyslexia, Danger, Coalmine, Mining, Parental expectation, Courage, Historical, Secret, Poverty, Growing up, Family, Mine accident, Storm, Based on true event, Yorkshire, Child workers, Books, Reading, Myths and Legends, Minotaur story, Darkness)