The Day No One Woke Up

by Polly Ho-Yen

Interest age: 9+
Reading age: 9 to 11

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2022

  • Coming-of-age
  • Science fiction

About this book

Ana has known Tio forever. They used to be best friends but lately things have changed between them. He just doesn’t seem to like her anymore and takes every opportunity to poke fun at her and be mean. Then, the world turns weird.

On Monday, bad stuff happens. On Tuesday some very strange stuff happens. On Wednesday no one wakes up; except Ana and Tio. And someone who can’t be seen is taking notes; and watching.

Alone in a sleeping world, can Ana and Tio bury their differences long enough to follow the clues and work out what’s going on and how to rescue the human race? And can they find out exactly who, or what, is watching them?

This tense and intriguing sci-fi mystery will keep readers gripped as Tio and Ana navigate a town with no cars, buses, cyclists, dogs or people. The overall atmosphere is creepy and unnerving with one or two genuinely spine-tingling moments.

Underlying the sinister goings-on is a story about communication and how people, even those closest to you, can’t always guess what you’re thinking and feeling. Sometimes you need to put your worries and anxiety into words.

About the author

Polly Ho-Yen is a writer based in Bristol. Her debut novel, Boy in the Tower, was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award, Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Federation of Children's Book Groups Book Award. All three of her middle-grade novels have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

Following her experiences working as a primary school teacher in south London, Polly puts these places and communities centre-stage in her narratives. She aims to create stories firmly rooted in a world that young people will know and recognise, even when a science fiction or fantastical element creeps in. Polly is an Arvon tutor and regularly runs writing workshops in primary and secondary schools across the country as well as working for Bristol libraries, where she set up the Bristol Teen Book Award, a book award for Bristol secondary schools which celebrates inclusivity.

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