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The First Year

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Brief Description
From award-winning poet, Matt Goodfellow comes the eagerly awaited sequel to best-selling verse novel, The Final YearNate’s eleven and has just finished Primary School. After a challenging final year, life is looking up. His brother has recovered from a life-threatening heart condition, he’s got the love... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Matt Goodfellow's eagerly awaited sequel to his best-selling and multi-award winning verse novel, The Final Year

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From award-winning poet, Matt Goodfellow comes the eagerly awaited sequel to best-selling verse novel, The Final Year

Nate’s eleven and has just finished Primary School. After a challenging final year, life is looking up. His brother has recovered from a life-threatening heart condition, he’s got the love of his mum, brothers and Auntie San, and he’s off to Secondary School with his two best mates. While he’s finding his feet in a new school with high expectations, new friends and avoiding the focus and fists of Turner, his old nemesis; an unexpected arrival turns his whole world upside-down. As The Beast - the anger he tries so hard to control - reappears, will Nate find a way to keep himself and his family together?

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781915659606

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 April 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Otter-Barry Books

Illustration: Illustrations, black and white

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 480

About the Author

Now a multi award winning full-time poet, Matt Goodfellow's debut novel, told in verse, The Final Year, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, for middle-grade readers, won The CLiPPA Award for Children’s Poetry 2024 and the Children’s Book Award for Older Readers 2024 (Federation of Children’s Book Groups) amongst many others. He is also the author of Caterpillar Cake, illustrated by Krina Patel-Sage and shortlisted for the CLiPPA award in 2022, Shu-Lin’s Grandpa, illustrated by Yu Rong and shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2022 and a contributor to CLiPPA-shortlisted poetry collection Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings, all published by Otter-Barry Books.

Joe Todd-Stanton grew up in Brighton and has a first class degree in Illustration from UWE, Bristol. He is a widely acclaimed author and illustrator of picture books and graphic novels including The Secret of Black Rock and The Comet. He illustrated the award-winning The Final Year, by Matt Goodfellow. His latest book is Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc, published in 2024. He lives in London.

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  • 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...
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