Charlie knows the forest behind his house as well as his own reflection. He and his friends, Beaky and Lamont, spend hours in the forest, and Charlie loves finding things for his collection. He has pieces of smooth glass, bark, nests, bones and other treasures. When he finds a large tooth with strange ridges in it, he’s keen to add it to his box in his room.

With his 12th birthday just around the corner, and impending big-brotherhood approaching, Charlie is feeling pretty good. When he’s woken early on the morning of his birthday to learn he has a little brother, he’s excited to meet him. The hospital has bad news.

Charlie flees the hospital into his beloved forest, not wanting to hear any more. He’s waited so long for his sibling. How can there be something wrong? Things only get worse. He’s in the forest all right, but it’s not the same. It has the same landmarks in the right places, but other things are different. These thoughts vanish when he finds someone face down in the river.

In a panic, he hauls a boy from the water. He’s bare chested and wearing animal skins. Animal skins? To Charlie’s relief, the boy survives. He’s angry, fearful and bleeding from a gash in his head. Charlie just wants to find The Wild Way Home.

A wary trust builds between them as they learn to communicate, fight wolves, face a large lynx, flee from a huge, spear weilding man, and search for a tiny baby – the boy’s sister. The only problem is, the boy cannot remember where he’s from? If he doesn’t know, how is Charlie going to get home?

The more time passes, the more Charlie misses his parents, wants to hold his baby brother, and be the big brother he was looking forward to being.

Quick Review

A real page-turning, time-slip, tween novel about family, friendship and brotherly courage being just the same over thousands of years.

Wolves, action, mystery and bravery are key themes as two boys from different times, cultures and understanding are thrown together by chance. These strangers quickly realise they have to trust and rely on one another for survival.

These frightening and unfamiliar situations give Charlie (main character) the courage he needs to face what he ran from in the first place.

Author – Sophie Kirtley

Age – 8+

(Stone age, Time Travel, New Baby, Courage, Wolves, Animals, Cave, Hospital, Trust, Action, Family, Caveman, Neanderthal)