The Boy in the Smoke
MG CONTEMPORARY FICTION
Blackwell's Children's Book of the Month July 2023
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​WINNER at the Phoenix Book Awards 2024
Isaiah always has an easy smile and smart answer for his teachers. He's good at fixing things and making people happy. But ever since Mum left and Dad got ill, it's been getting harder to keep all that up. To not let his friends know they're struggling. To keep believing things will get better...
Then Isaiah meets the boy in the smoke, a boy he connects with through a forgotten fireplace in his tower block. A boy from the past with a mystery to solve, who desperately needs Isaiah's help.
Can Isaiah change Jacob's life for the better? And in doing so, maybe can he change his own?
An uplifting story about friendship and resilience, courage and hope...
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Cover art and illustrations by Rumbidzai Savanhu