The Final Year

The first novel, told in verse, for middle grade readers by acclaimed poet Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton. A powerful and lyrical story about finding your place in the world and the people that matter within it.

See that tall, skinny kid with the ball in his hand sayin' see ya later to his mate?

That’s me: Nathan Wilder - Nate. 10 years old and a week away from the end of Year 5. Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS at his side - they’ve been inseparable since Nursery. But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, his world turns upside-down.

As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he’s dealt another blow when his youngest brother, Dylan, is rushed into hospital. His new teacher, Mr. Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that’s lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to make sense of what’s going on. But with so much working against him, and anger rising inside him, will this be enough?