Despite these difficult circumstances, students in our shadowing group are reading vigorously and discussing the books.  In these updates, we hope to share our thoughts so far on each of the shortlisted titles and give you a chance to hear interviews with and readings by the authors.

Our first featured title is:

Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake

On the run with her little brother, Aidan, sixteen-year-old Emily stows away on a plane in this fast-paced thriller. When their plane crashes into the side of a snowy mountain, it’s up to Emily to ensure Aidan and their pilot, Bob, make it off the mountain alive. Lost in the Alaskan wilderness and pursued by mysterious government forces who want to capture them, the unlikely team of three trek across the freezing landscape, learning more about each other, and about life, than they ever thought possible.

 To find out more about the inspirations, dreams and research behind this book watch an interview with the author.

What Bushey Meads Shadowers say:

“It was amazing as it was about two siblings helping each other and teamwork!  This book does appeal to readers very well”. Alayna, Yr 7.

 “It is a great read for anyone who is looking for a novel that you can’t put down once you have picked it up.  This book indicates the importance of teamwork even in a bizarre situation like surviving the plane crash.  It’s all about becoming the person you want to be and standing up for yourself! A lot of people would expect an element of romance in books like this, but this book is quite the read!”  Aman, Yr8.

 We say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the group’s introductory exercise was to vote on which of the eight books had the most appealing and enticing front cover, with Nowhere on Earth coming out on top, for its “interesting art style and vibrant colours”.  I wanted to read this the minute I saw the cover and read the blurb. However, the students got there before me so I had to wait.   Meanwhile, having watched the author interview, I was intrigued because one of the questions referred to a spaceship, yet the blurb makes no suggestion of this!  The only answer is to read the book – it is a fusion of several genres which works beautifully to keep your interest.  From the first page there are questions to be answered, not least, why are they on the run and being hunted by the ‘men in black’? The evocative descriptions of the bleak Alaskan landscape provide a chilling background for this immersive read – thoroughly enjoyable!