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Julia and the Shark

An enthralling, uplifting adventure story from the creators of LEILA AND THE BLUE FOX
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( 3,706 ratings, 721 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Julia and the Shark is a moving children's story about a young girl named Julia who travels with her family to a remote lighthouse island for her mother’s work. While her parents focus on their scientific pursuits, Julia embarks on her own adventure, filled with mystery and the profound beauty of the natural world. The narrative delicately explores themes of family, longing, and the search for understanding in a captivating coastal setting.
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Format: Hardback
$2300
Elsewhere:
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this spellbinding children's story if you are drawn to heartwarming tales that explore themes of adventure, family, and mental health, all set against the enchanting backdrop of a remote island with mesmerising illustrations.

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Julia and the Shark

A captivating, powerful and luminous story from a bestselling, award-winning author about a mother, a daughter, and the great Greenland shark. With mesmerising black and yellow illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback with tracing paper inserts, this is a perfect gift for 9+ fans of David Almond and Frances Hardinge.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A captivating, powerful and luminous story from a bestselling, award-winning author about a mother, a daughter, and the great Greenland shark. With mesmerising black and yellow illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback with tracing paper inserts, this is a perfect gift for 9+ fans of David Almond and Frances Hardinge.

'Such rich and vivid prose ... with beautiful illustrations by Tom de Freston' New York Times

'Tom de Freston's stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave's story' - Cressida Cowell

'A truly beautiful book, with text and illustrations in perfect harmony. A book to treasure!' - Jacqueline Wilson

Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars - a classic from cover to cover' - Eoin Colfer

'A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light' - Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths until it ripped the whole island from its roots. The bed was a boat, the shark a tide, and it pulled me so far out to sea I was only a speck, a spot, a mote, a dying star in an unending sky...

Julia has followed her mum and dad to live on a remote island for the summer - her dad, for work; her mother, on a determined mission to find the elusive Greenland shark. But when her mother's obsession threatens to submerge them all, Julia finds herself on an adventure with dark depths and a lighthouse full of hope...

A beautiful, lyrical, uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love - with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Julia and the Shark has been lauded for its captivating and beautifully written narrative, merging a touching exploration of mental health, family, and courage. Reviewers admire the harmony between Kiran Millwood Hargrave's prose and Tom de Freston's stunning illustrations, noting how they enhance the depth and feeling of the story. The book is praised for its lyrical and evocative language, offering a rich, immersive experience that resonates with readers of all ages.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781510107786

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orion Children's Books

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Tom de Freston
  • Illustrated by Tom de Freston

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 158.0mm

Height: 218.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston met in 2009, when Kiran was a student and Tom was artist-in-residence at Cambridge University. They have been a couple and collaborators ever since, but Julia and the Shark was their first novel. It was Indie Book of the Month, Scottish Booktrust Book of the Month, and won the Waterstones Children's Gift of the Year 2021. Kiran is the award-winning, bestselling author of stories including The Girl of Ink & Stars and The Deathless Girls, and Tom worked as an acclaimed artist for many years, making his illustrative debut with Julia and the Shark, and his writing debut with Wreck (Granta, 2022). They live in Oxford with their cats Luna and Marly, in a house between a river and a forest.

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