Nightjar
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Carnegie Medal winner Katya Balen returns with a stunning tale about a fractured bond between father and son – and the injured bird that helps to heal it.
Carnegie Medal winner Katya Balen returns with a stunning tale about a fractured bond between father and son – and the injured bird that helps to heal it.
When Noah’s dad visits from New York, he and Noah come across an injured nightjar during a walk in the countryside. Noah is determined to save the bird, but his dad believes they should leave it alone to let nature take its course. As father and son argue, it becomes clear that Noah is angry about more than just the bird. He feels abandoned and misunderstood by his dad, who has moved to the US and started a new family there that doesn’t seem to have room for Noah. Can they find a way to build a new relationship and rediscover the common ground between them?
Katya Balen
Katya Balen is an award-winning author and the co-director of Mainspring Arts Charity, providing creative opportunities for neurodivergent people. Her debut children’s novel, The Space We’re In, was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. October, October won the 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal, the 2023 UKLA Book Award, while The Light in Everything was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. Our Numbered Bones is her adult debut. She lives in South London with her partner, two lazy dogs and an assorted collection of dying house plants.
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