October, October: WINNER OF THE YOTO CARNEGIE MEDAL 2022

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They revel in the nature and the seasons, they take care of their environment and the woods take care of them.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling. I know not everything has a perfect ending and I know that some things have a perfect place and that some things don’t and that all this can change anyway. To begin with it was not a book I could get into but I put my trust in this book and was very glad to. I must admit that I was attracted to this children’s novel by the illustrations and the lovely warm colours on the cover, however it is the story inside which is the really warming aspect of this little book.And yes, that by the end of October, October, while October might now have a more positive attitude towards both her mother and also city living in general, that she is not made by Katya Balen as having to apologise for her outbursts, for her anger, that from the beginning to the end of October, October there is a clear textual thread of demonstrating that October's mother has very much deserved her daughter's frustration, annoyance and fury, I am indeed and definitely so so so textually appreciative and even majorly grateful for this (as well as constantly smiling). There was just the right amount of choice to suit everyone without being overwhelming and I received comments from parents and staff about the quality of books offered compared to previous sales which have always been based around current crazes and well known celebrity authors.

I have even talked the head into a little revamp of the library so that we can display them properly! Part of me wondered how the family came to have such an unusual living arrangement in the first instance, and we never get this question answered. Worst of all, October hates her mother and refuses all her efforts to build a relationship – all she wants is to go home with Dad.

But she doesn’t like life in the city, and wants to go back to the woods with her dad and be wild again. I was at my last school for 4 years and we had ********* book fairs every term – and every term, I was disappointed by the narrow range of books. Obviously, the actual reason is to give October a reason to go to school now, make friends, and generally move the story along, but you can't remind us of these real-world consequences and only apply them to one parent) and I do think the central conflict wrapped up a little too neatly and without quite enough conversation or work on October's part to parse her feelings, rendering the happily-ever-after ending somewhat unearned.

The world is not a simple place, and Balen draws a touching, spikey, sparky, dangerous, heartful portrait of a girl slowly learning that. In conclusion, I don’t think Balen made a single misstep with this novel from the characterisation to the structure to the language, every single sentence and moment was superb! The illustrations by Angela Harding are beautiful and detailed and add a wonderful addition to the book. We see her come to terms wit( letting Stig be reformed to take her rightful place in the wild…and we see her come to accept the change in circumstances and accept both parents playing a role in her life.This book would serve well as a guided reading book for KS2, and would lead to many possible experiential learning activities, such as mudlarking, creating cross-curricular links to PSHE and science, as well as English. The book explores the challenges faced by the outsider, those who don’t quite fit into a neat box, but how it’s still possible for everyone to find companionship. A tender and beautifully written story of family, nature, imagination and the fear that comes with change. You guys are such a force for good and I am a passionate supporter of Indie booksellers, so I'm so happy this worked out well (I'd love to know how many books were sold if you have it to hand - it felt like quite a lot!