Needle
by Patrice Lawrence
Interest age: 12 to 13
Reading age: 8 to 9
Published by Barrington Stoke, 2022
About this book
How come, if there’s any kind of ‘incident’ at school, at the shopping centre, it’s always the Black kid in care who gets the blame? Charlene has got used to the fact that no-one ever wants to hear her side of the story but that doesn’t make it any easier or make her any less angry.
She uses knitting to manage her stress and is making a special blanket for the younger sister she hasn’t seen for two years. All the love she has for Kandi has been poured into it so, when her foster brother destroys it, something inside her snaps. She stabs him in the arm with a knitting needle.
If people are going to think you’re bad anyway, what’s the point in trying to be good anymore?
This is a troubling, empathetic and important story that gives a voice to the voiceless. It shows how little control young people in care can have over their own lives.
Charlene is such a forceful presence it’s easy to forget this is fiction and not a memoir. Compelling but uncomfortable reading aimed at teens/young adults but with a younger reading age and extra features to make it more accessible.
About the author
More books like this
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Rat
by Patrice Lawrence
12+ years
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Is that your mama?
by Patrice Lawrence and Diane Ewen
4 to 6 years
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Our Story Starts in Africa
by Patrice Lawrence, illustrated by Jeanetta Gonzales
6 to 9 years
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Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush
by Patrice Lawrence, illustrated by Camilla Sucre
6 to 9 years
Lists of recommended reads
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Books about children in foster care
Sometimes children need to be looked after by a foster carer – and every child deserves books with characters who have experienced something similar to them. Here is a selection of brilliant stories that all children will enjoy reading, with main characters who've been fostered.
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Books for a high interest age, low reading ability (high low), for 10+
Children can have a different reading ability to their interest age for a variety of reasons, such as dyslexia or having English as an additional language (EAL). Here is a selection of fiction that will grip the reader, and that has simpler syntax and/or an accessible layout.