Leila and the Blue Fox: An enthralling, uplifting adventure story from the creators of JULIA AND THE SHARK

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Another beautifully told and illustrated story that explores really important themes that will tug at your heartstrings. Leila has been living in London with her aunt and cousin since migrating to Englad from Syria, she is missing her mum so goes to visit her in Norway for the summer.

Much of the artwork for ‘Julia and the Shark’ was made using these materials, as an act of mourning, transformation and repair. A fabulous collection of all time short story greats - including Dickens, Ian McEwan, Alice Munro, Roald Dahl, Kate Atkinson and so much more. Pritchett, Thomas Pynchon, Muriel Spark and Colm Toibin, That Glimpse of Truth is the biggest, most handsome collection of short fiction in print today. This review was written by Laura Ovenden I have taught English for over 20 years in tertiary, secondary and now primary settings. Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s detailed and skilful writing, complemented by Tom de Freston’s captivating illustrations, creates memorable and relatable characters, both human and animal, that you can’t help but fall in love with.Bookwagon recommends Leila and the Blue Fox wholeheartedly, especially for mature middle grade readers. She has three children and seven grandchildren, and lives in the Derbyshire Peak District with Alan James Brown. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). Perfect for upper primary children, this is a moving story, based on true events, with many thrilling moments of danger and adventure. Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.

Her brand new novel for ages 10–14, The Haunted Hills, is out now, as is her novel for adults, Rose Doran Dreams.Leaving the reader able to feel the icy purity of the artic as they breathe deep into the wonderful book. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she'd lost, with help from a determined little fox. Leila and the Blue Fox is a complete standalone story, but takes all the elements that made Julia so great, and builts upon it.

Kiran cleverly takes the journey of a fox, Miso in this story and tells it parallel to the healing journey of a mother and daughter as they track the fox. All her trademark writing traits remain the same, the hidden meanings and often stomach churning angst with an ability to create rich visual character journeys from often quite bleak surroundings, situations or circumstances. Now it’s summer in the Arctic Circle and the bright, endless sun threatens to shine a light on the awkwardness between Leila and her mum.

Although the illustrations in this copy of the book were in black and white, I can’t wait to see them alive in blue and grey, and with the tracing paper pages added.

We witness Leila’s sense of awe and wonder at seeing a whale: ‘Leila widens her eyes, trying to drink it in as snorts of water issue from the hole in its head.Julia is staying with her parents on the tiny island of Unst, where her father is repairing the lighthouse. The dramatic illustrations in Julia and the Shark are strikingly achieved by her husband, Tom de Freston. The need for both animals and people to migrate is explored in a thoughtful, sensitive way, as is the mother/daughter relationship. It’s a great way of introducing those topics to younger readers, with further reading included at the back (as well as for the arctic animals. from Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard Archipelago of Norway, to Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Canada.