The Light in Everything

Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2023

Katya Balen, Sydney Smith

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English

Bloomsbury
05 July 2022

Children's & Educational; General fiction (Children's&YA); Family & home stories (Children's&YA); Personal & social issues: family issues (Children's&YA)

This is the story of Tom and Zofia.

Tom is quiet and careful and is only just starting to feel safe, even though his dad has been in jail for nearly two years now. Zofia is the opposite. Inside her there’s a storm that’s always raging and it makes her want to run and shout and fight the whole world to make it give her what she wants.

What she wants most is for boring, babyish scaredy cat Tom to get out of her life. And Tom can’t think of anyone he likes less than loud, unpredictable Zofia. But Tom and his mum are moving into the little cottage by the sea where Zofia and her Dad live. Because Tom’s mum and Zofia’s dad are in love, and they’re having a baby. Tom and Zofia both wish with all of their hearts that the stupid baby had never happened. But then, as Tom’s mum gets more and more ill, it begins to look like their wish might come true …

This is a story of learning to trust, learning to let go and diving into the unknown with hope in your heart from the author of THE SPACE WE'RE IN and OCTOBER, OCTOBER.

By: Katya Balen
Illustrated by: Sydney Smith
Imprint: Bloomsbury
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
Weight: 264g
ISBN: 9781526647405
ISBN 10: 1526647400
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 05 July 2022
Recommended Age: From 9 to 11 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Out of Print

Katya Balen studied English at university. Since then she's worked in lots of special schools and is now co-director of Mainspring Arts, which runs creative workshops for neurodivergent people. When she's not writing books or planning projects, she likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake and attempt to keep all her house plants alive. She lives in London with her partner and her ridiculously lazy dog, Raffi. Sydney Smith is a children's book illustrator. He lives in Canada with his wife and two sons. His picture books have won numerous awards, including the CILIP Kate Greenway Medal, which was awarded to Town Is By The Sea in 2018. THE LIGHT IN EVERYTHING is his first book with Bloomsbury.

Reviews for The Light in Everything: Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2023

Katya Balen's October, October is a very special new addition to the shelf and deserves classic status * Times Children's Book of the Week * Quite simply one of the most beautiful books I've ever read * Kiran Millwood Hargrave on OCTOBER, OCTOBER * October, October is fierce with a wild love. It draws you in to its heart, shakes you with a fury, wraps you in a spell of storytelling. In lyrical prose, Katya Balen gives us a modern day heroine filled with courage. I loved every page. * Jackie Morris * Wise and bright - I loved it. * Hilary McKay on OCTOBER, OCTOBER * One of the most beautiful children's books I've ever read * Natasha Farrant on October, October * I've also just been introduced to the first two stunning children's books by Katya Balen, both published by Bloomsbury: The Space We're In and October, October. If you have a middle-grader, or know one, or are one ... treat yourself -- Daniel Hahn * Books of the Year, The Spectator * A tear-jerker about family that shows us things that are important and true, and promotes compassion -- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week * This sensitive, heartbreaking story boasts a wonderful narrative voice and secret codes that add another layer of intrigue * Guardian on THE SPACE WE'RE IN * Now and then, and only now and then, a book changes us. The Space We're In does that. It's ferocious and it's visionary. * Kevin Crossley-Holland *