A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
“An emotionally charged book grappling with a sensitive subject told in a child-friendly (10+) voice. Feel that it would unlock deep discussion about characterisation and how an author uses cues to display inner feelings. I loved the character of the monster – his resilience and determination to make Conor disclose his emotions and fears and support him in dealing with these. Patrick Ness also brings into play other social issues (split families, class distinctions, bullying etc) as well as the cancer which gnaws at the characters throughout the book. I would thoroughly recommend it to a Year 6 class.”