Brock

Nick & Kenny live with their dad, and life is rough. With Mum gone and Dad looking as if he’s given up on the world, the brothers are close. Kenny is older but Nicky looks out for his happy-go-lucky ‘simple’ big brother. Nicky doesn’t really like this label but it’s better than using the words ‘difficulties’ or ‘disabilities’.

Kenny gets in strife every now and then, as he’s easily led by others. This time, local trouble-magnets, Jezbo, Rob and Rich are out to hunt badgers and Kenny has been sucked into their plan. When Nicky learns where Kenny is going and with who, he knows there is going to be trouble.

Nicky is drawn into saving badgers, a dog and their father’s future – which in turn helps to head their fractured family in a hopeful direction.

Pike

Life is better for brothers Nicky & Kenny now that their father is working and his new girlfriend helps out. A man that has caused so much damage in their family is said to be far from their small town and the police’s reach, but Nicky doesn’t care – as long as he has gone from their lives.

One day while fishing at the local lake next to an old Bacon factory, Nicky sees something. There are stories about this lake. Tales of giant pike that will eat you if you find yourself in the water. Kenny loves these stories, especially when Nicky is telling them. Nicky is not sure what to believe about the pike, but when he is in the water trying to retrieve something Kenny lost, he sees something bright below him. He can also feel something moving.

Whether the giant pike are real or not, Nicky sees a chance at helping their dad out with a bit of money. Soon he and Kenny are back at the lake – at night – in the dark, with more than giant pike to worry about.

Rook

Nicky & Kenny’s adopted dog alerts them to it. A rook is being attacked by a sparrowhawk in a field. They run after her, worried the little dog will kill the birds or they will  attack her. When they reach the fight scene, a young rook lies in the dirt, bleeding but still alive. Both boys love animals and there is no question about taking it home to care for it.

Kenny admits he was so excited about the rook, he’d forgotten to tell Nicky he has a secret. He tells his brother that his best friend at his school is a famous sci fi character in disguise. Nicky scoffs and then baulks at Kenny’s demand for one of his secrets. Nicky diverts his big brother as usual, because for once he does have a secret.

There is a girl at school called Sarah. Nicky can’t stop thinking about her. The only problem is her brother. Stanno is part of a group of Year 10 bullies that make fun of Kenny, and lob lies about their mum. Nicky is used to it now, and can ignore it most of the time. But he knows if Stanno knew he liked his sister, they’d be more than just taunts thrown at him.

Nicky still wants to talk to Sarah though. Even go out somewhere. The more his frustration with himself grows, he begins to see things that never bothered him before. His cheap haircut, his shabby clothes, and the fact that he’s the only one he knows without a cellphone. Suddenly these things are important and he knows he can’t do anything about it. His anger builds until he lashes out at the people who least deserve it. Has he ruined everything? His hopes with Sarah? His relationship with Dad and Kenny? Maybe even his entire future?

After reading the final book in this series – Lark (after it won the Carnegie Medal in 2020), I knew I had to read the first three books about teenage brothers Kenny and Nicky. When I discovered this bind-up of all three stories, I was excited to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed.

Anthony McGowan’s skill in putting so much into every page, bringing these teen boys to life and making them so believable – in a style effortlessly readable and enjoyable, is wondrous. With every story, I felt I got to know these brothers more and more. Nicky is telling the story, and his love for his big but ‘simple’ big brother shines off the page. Even when he was lashing out at the injustices he felt as he falls for a girl, I felt for Nicky.

Showing teen boys caring for animals, particularly after other teens have hurt them, is wonderful to see, as is the unwavering loyalty between siblings. There is a gradual growth of the brothers and their fractured family through the stories, leading them to a better and more settled life. The shadow of the missing mother forever in the background, adds intrigue and sadness, but if you want to know more about this relationship, you have to read Lark.

Perfect for dyslexic or reluctant readers too, and each story is complete within itself.

Loved them.

Author – Anthony McGowan

Age – 12+

Dyslexic Title

Read Chapter 1 here

Read a review of the last book in this series – Carnegie Medal winning Lark here

(2022, Barrington Stoke, Reluctant Reader, Dyslexic, Dyslexia, Family, Siblings, Series, Brothers, Badgers, Dogs, Rooks, Animals Birds, Animal Care, Love, Yorkshire, England, UK, Real Life, Loss, Poverty, School, Crush, Bullies, Crime, Adventures)