Owen and the Soldier
By (Author) Lisa Thompson
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
HarperCollins Publishers
Barrington Stoke Ltd
5th August 2019
3rd June 2019
United Kingdom
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: School stories
Childrens / Teenage emotions: Courage, bravery, hope
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Mental health
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and self-esteem
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Death and grief
Childrens / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction
823.92
Short-listed for Blue Peter Book Award 2020
Paperback
96
Width 130mm, Height 198mm, Spine 10mm
160g
Owen and his mum are struggling. It's just the two of them now and they're finding it difficult to ask for the help they need. When Owen discovers a battered old war memorial in the local park, he finds great comfort in confessing his worries to the war-weary stone soldier. No matter what Owen says, the soldier just sits and listens, and most days that's all Owen needs. So when the council make plans to modernise the park and get rid of the soldier, Owen is devastated and decides to put up a fight. If he can just show everyone how important the soldier is, maybe this time Owen won't be left to cope on his own.
"A clever, thought-provoking story that draws parallels between past and present conflicts, and how we remember those lost so that we can move on" -- Emma Carroll
"For my money, Lisa Thompson is one of the greatest treasures we have in contemporary childrens fiction ... A rare, brilliant talent -- Maz Evans
"A beautiful tale of a courageous young man who overcomes his fears to stand up for what he believes. Lisa Thompson writes stories that must be written. Here, she sensitively weaves complex ideas of young carers, social anxiety and remembrance into a story that somehow remains light and accessible" -- Book Trust
Lisa Thompson is a children's novelist and the author of the best-selling The Goldfish Boy and The Light Jar. The Goldfish Boy was a Waterstones Children's Book of the Month and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the Branford Boase Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She lives in Suffolk with her family.