Nicky and Kenny are brothers, and are waiting for their mother to arrive. This will be her first visit since she abandoned them with their alcoholic father many years
before. This awkward anticipation and the Easter holiday has found them part bored, and part on edge, especially Kenny.
Kenny is the oldest, but Nicky is the responsible one, looking out for them both. Kenny’s learning difficulties bring many challenges, but Nicky will do anything for his lanky, straight-up, older brother.
Their dad, (now sober and working) suggests a walk. The same walk he and his own father used to take – across the Yorkshire Moors. He gives them a map and instructions on the buses they must take to get there, assuring the paths are well marked and it will be a good day trip.
The brothers set off on their adventure, with Kenny’s beloved Jack Russell Tina skipping at their heels. Despite missing the first bus, things go mostly to plan, and their dad’s suggested lark is just what they needed – fresh air, and good natured chatter along the well trodden paths between trees and low stone walls.
The higher they go, they realise how ill equipped they are for the cold. A shortcut to lessen it only makes things worse. As the daylight slips away and the weather worsens, Nicky tells Kenny stories to keep them both occupied, along with assurances they’ll reach their destination soon.
Stories have been part of their close connection since small, with Nicky telling tales at night before bed and throughout their life of poverty, bullying, and uncertainty. Even now with life on a more even keel, Nicky’s stories are a balm for Kenny’s restlessness and worries.
Stories however will not fix what happens next. Nicky needs to rely on Kenny for once, and this realisation is frightening for them both. Their lark has slid into life-threatening territory.
Winner of the prestigious Cilip Carnegie Medal for 2020, Lark is the fourth in a series of books about the love between two brothers and their survival in a life of modern poverty and struggle.
Although part of this heart-wrenching series, Lark is a gut-punching stand-alone novel perfect for reluctant readers and dyslexic readers alike, with a reading age of 9 and an interest age of 13+. On finishing it, and with a tear in my eye, I instantly set about finding the first three books in the series, Brock, Pike, and Rook. I want to begin at the start to get to know these brothers even better.
Lark made me laugh out loud at the authentic banter between the brothers. It filled me with an impending sense of dread as their adventure soured, and I shivered along with the boys at their predicament.
The ending is perfect, allowing the reader a glimpse of the future, of hope and family and love and sending the reader back to the very beginning.
Author – Anthony McGowan
Age – 13+
Dyslexic Title – Reading Age 9 – Interest Age 13+
Read the first Chapter here
(2019, Barrington Stoke, Brothers, Siblings, Yorkshire, Moors, Daytrip, Nature walk, Lost, Family, Series, CILIP Carnegie Medal, Award winner, Teenage boys, Love, Danger, Trust, Poverty, Memory)