Hello, I’m Sophie Kirtley, the author of The Wild Way Home. Come and take a little wander with me to one small corner of our wonderful planet; I’d like to share a special place with you – that place is Mandel Forest, where my new book is set. The first creature this baby saw was a hart with magnificent antlers. The baby looked at the hart and the hart looked at the baby and for a tiny moment all was still in the endless forest. What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost – their courage, their hope, their family and their way home. Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted (or any mixture of these)?It was exciting because there were many surprises. In this story there were very sad moments, which bought tears to my eyes, such as when, they discovered they had taken the life of a mother wolf from her pups, and when Harby discovers the death of his own mother. This made me think about how it would feel to lose members of my own family.

I found Charlie the most interesting because he had to go on a cool, but dangerous adventure to find a cure for his baby brother. I did not like Charlie also because he was annoying and he hated his baby brother at first. I liked it that I started off not liking him, but then changed my mind. Charlie has long dreamed of having a sibling and is delighted when he's woken on his 12th birthday to be told he has a baby brother. But his happiness doesn't last when he discovers Dara is very poorly. He's not the pink, beautiful baby brother he was expecting. As fear takes over, Charlie runs and ends up far, far, far away with no idea how to get home. The Wild Way Home’ focusses on two characters: Charlie and Harby who meet when Charlie finds themselves lost in the Stone Age. To begin with their interactions were a bit turbulent, Harby was concussed (conk cushion!) and the difference in language made things hard for them. Both of these characters overcame these though developing a really nice friendship. It was great to see these characters looking out for each other as they navigated the forrest facing wolves, bears and other dangers and ultimately helping each other find home. Charlie was written really interestingly, throughout the book they are not given a gender which really allows you to immerse yourself into the story and experience what Charlie is going through. Anyone can be Charlie. The only downside to the amazing development of Charlie and Harby is that other characters feel a little less memorable with the exception of Lamont who I just found to be unlikeable.The plot is both thought-provoking, exciting and light-hearted. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next. What stood out to me most was how, once Charlie was running into his woods, then he comes out in a Stone Age version of his his neighbourhood. Sophie Kirtley uses a wide range of interesting vocabulary which makes you think abut the characters more thoroughly. I would absolutely recommend this for everyone aged 7 or over. The only thing I didn’t like was how it says b-l-o-o-d-y in one sentence. Charlie is escaping a strange and worrisome situation at home- heart wrenching to read- What kind of emotions are you feeling during the writing of such scenes?

As I researched and wrote The Wild Way Home I felt that in a way I was time-travelling too – exploring a whole new way of looking at our world, through the eyes of Charlie and Harby on their wild adventures through Mandel Forest. for your birrrthdaaay!’ sings Beaky. ‘I can’t wait! D’you think you’ll finally get a phone, Charlie?’ This story contains all the ingredients for a fantastic adventure: wolves, storms, shadows and oodles of danger. However, the external obstacles are nothing compared to Charlie's inner struggles. Even if he survives the threats lurking amongst the trees, can he ever forgive himself for abandoning his baby brother?What made the history or the time it was set in interesting to you?The characters talking in their own language.

This is a thrilling, action story about a boy called Charlie Merrium who meets his newborn baby brother who is born with a forever heart problem, on his 12thbirthday. The adventure begins in the hospital, when Charlie who is upset and worried for his brother Dara, runs away into Mandel Forest. He finds a boy, lying in the river, breathing, but only just. After rescuing the boy, Charlie discovers he has been transported strangely, into a stone-age world and is a long, long way from home. Of course we are,’ answers Beaky, before I even have a chance to think about it. Nero wags his tail like he’s in agreement. Charlie Merriam has counted down the day until her new baby brother or sister is born. It seems as though it might arrive on her twelfth birthday. Meanwhile she plays in the woods with her friends Beaky and Lamont, and Nero the dog. Somehow their games throw up shadows of past travellers through this forest. Furthermore, Charlie feels the presence of Hartboy, someone who existed here once, civilisations before. It seems he has some link to the deer tooth that Charlie finds on the eve of the birthday, alongside the same time that the baby arrives…. The clarity of writing and plot and fully realised main characters, combined with emotional depth and range of themes to discuss, would make The Wild Way Home an excellent UKS2 class reader, particularly if linked to the Stone Age topic - I would choose The Wild Way Home over Stig of the Dump any day. The pace rattles along (I can already imagine the 'just one more chapter!' cries) with plenty of gasp-out-loud moments, but also moments for quiet reflection and deep discussion.

What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost - their courage, their hope, their family and their way home.

An exciting debut that takes us on a timeslip adventure into the deep past, where survival is at the point of a spear and family is the only thing you have to hold onto A.F. Harrold

Reviews

Which of the characters (if any) you did not like. Why?I did not dislike ay of the characters in the book. It is a heart-warming, magical book that has family, friendship and overcoming difficulties at its core. I couldn't put it down! NetGalley user The story is very educational and contains lots of information about the Stone Age. It manages to be a thoroughly entertaining story while also being full of facts. It does contain some fictional things, such as the Spirit Song; but I think these things adds to the story. What he finds is not the peace he was hoping for but a strangely dressed boy lying face down in a shallow part of the river. Although the boy is alive, he needs medical attention. But when Charlie tries to go for help, he finds the forest has changed into something more wild and threatening. For me, I really do write for child readers – and I think what children read really does matter. I want my reader to have an adventure, but also have a giggle, and also have a think, and also feel an emotional connection with the story. That’s it!!!