A Crongton Story: Liccle Bit :Book 1: As seen on BBC iPlayer! - A Crongton Story
A Crongton Story: Liccle Bit :Book 1: As seen on BBC iPlayer! - A Crongton Story
paperback
Published:
17 August, 2023
Popular Books by Alex Wheatle
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Description
WELCOME TO CRONGTON, WHERE YOUR LOYALTY AND WITS WILL BE TESTED ...
*As seen on BBC iPlayer*
What's worse than hiding a secret? Liccle Bit's about to find out...
Venetia King is the hottest girl at school. Too bad Lemar is the second shortest guy in his year. Everyone calls him Liccle Bit, and his two best friends, McKay and Jonah, never tire of telling him he has no chance with girls. Things aren't much better at home. His mum is permanently hassled, his sister a frustrated single mum and his dad moved out years ago. Liccle Bit wishes he could do something - anything! - to make life better. A new phone would be a start...
When Venetia starts paying Liccle Bit attention, he secretly hopes he's on a fast track to a first date. Unfortunately, as a new gang war breaks out, he finds himself on a fast track to something much more sinister. South Crongton's notorious gang leader has taken an interest in Liccle Bit. Before he knows what's happening, he finds himself running errands. But when he hears about a killing on the estate, Liccle Bit is forced to question his choices. How can he possibly put things right?
Prizes
Long-listed for Carnegie Medal 2016 (UK)
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781444974775 |
| ISBN10 | 1444974777 |
| Number Of Pages | 288 |
| Item Weight | 206 g |
| Product Dimensions | 128 x 212 x 30 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Hachette Children's Group |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
What a gripping tale of family and friends, love and loyalty . . . Lemar's voice is so strong and I loved the humour in it too.
This is a tender and totally believable YA novel by a writer who knows unseen places, unheard people and untold stories. He knows because he has lived a life that might have remained hidden if he hadn't found within him the urge and talent to write. His previous books spoke to many who were not regular readers. This one will excite the urban young because their world is brought alive on the pages and those who raised in green and pleasant lands. Funny, painful, gritty and soft, this is a lovely book.
Breathing new life into a genre currently obsessed with vampires, dystopian visions or mawkishly sentimental stories, this tale set in a contemporary high-rise estate is topical and also a triumph of language . . . Wise as well as witty, understanding rather than blinkered, this novel is a joy to read * Independent *
Ultimately, my favourite book of this season has to be Liccle Bit, the first novel for young adults by Alex Wheatle, author of Brixton Rock. It's not for nothing that he was named the Brixton Bard. This is a book that sings with warmth, in spite of its tough setting - in the midst of a gang war - and contains lines that dance. Liccle Bit is the second shortest guy in his year and has the hots for Venetia King, though he knows that "fit girls don't usually go for short brothers". But his sister's ex, Manjoro, wants him to do a "liccle errand" for him, and then another, and when there's a killing on the estate, he worries that he is embroiled. A gritty delight - a liccle smile on every page. * Scotland Herald *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Alex Wheatle (3 January 1963 - 16 March 2025) was an author of several acclaimed novels, many of them inspired by experiences from his childhood. He was born in Brixton to Jamaican parents, and spent most of his childhood in a Surrey children's home. Following a short stint in prison following the Brixton uprising of 1981, he wrote poems and lyrics and became known as the Brixtonbard. Alex was shortlisted for numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize. He won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.