Needle
Needle
paperback
Published:
5 May, 2022
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Description
A powerful and heart-rending exploration of a teenager’s journey through grief, rage and getting caught in the criminal justice system from award-winning author Patrice Lawrence.
Winner of the 2023 Little Rebels Award and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Charlene is a demon knitter. It’s the only thing she enjoys and the only thing she believes she’s really good at.
So when her foster mum’s son destroys her latest creation, Charlene loses it and stabs him in the hand with her knitting needle. It damages a nerve and she gets sucked into the criminal justice system for assault.
Charlene's not sorry and she’s never apologised to anyone in her life. But people keep telling her that if she says sorry, they’ll go easier on her. Can she bring herself to say it and not mean it when her freedom’s at stake?
Particularly suitable for children aged 13+ with a reading age of 8.
Prizes
Winner of Little Rebels Award 2023,Short-listed for RED (Read Enjoy Debate) Book Award 2023,Short-listed for Redhill Academy Trust Young Adult Book Award 2023,Short-listed for Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023,Short-listed for Portsmouth Book Award - Longer Novel 2023,Short-listed for CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Young Adults 2023,Short-listed for Leeds Book Award 2023,Short-listed for Cumbria Schools Spellbinding Book Award 2023,Long-listed for Jhalak Children's and YA Prize 2023
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781800901018 |
| ISBN10 | 1800901011 |
| Number Of Pages | 128 |
| Item Weight | 210 g |
| Product Dimensions | 130 x 198 x 8 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
"A profoundly poignant YA story of an angry, hurt young teenager enmeshed in an inimical system, by an award-winning author" – The Guardian
"A brilliantly accomplished, heart-tripping, contemporary novella which will let the young people in your life know they have been heard" – Letterbox Library
"A complete page-turner that had me holding back the tears and wanting to dive into the book and make Charlene’s world better. A brilliantly told-heart aching insight into the care system, broken homes, family and knitting!" – Joseph Coelho, author
"Gripping, important and powerful. Made me weep with both anger and hope” – Sophie Anderson, author
"A true window into the life of another, Needle is a must-read … Patrice Lawrence's writing hits readers like a shock wave" – Just Imagine
"One of the many strengths in this book is the intersectionality that it explores between being looked after in foster care, being black and racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system." — Pen & Inc.
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Patrice Lawrence is a bestselling and multi-award-winning author for children and young adults. Her debut YA novel Orangeboy, won the YA Book Prize, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Older Readers, and was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award. Her other novels include Indigo Donut, the Jhalak Prize-winner Eight Pieces of Silva and Carnegie Medal longlisted Rat. In 2021, Patrice was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature.