The Shark and the Scar
by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 10+
Published by Orion, 2022
About this book
When Jay wakes up in hospital, recovering from surgery for a horrific injury, he has no memory of what happened to him. All he remembers is being in the sea then pain and blood – lots of blood.
Surely, he must have been attacked by a shark? But no one seems willing to talk about it and Dad swears him to secrecy in case negative publicity ruins the tourist trade.
Once he’s well enough, Dad takes him to Ireland for a ‘fresh start’ in a quiet fishing village with no phone, no internet and no contact with home. It’s all for Jay’s good so he won’t be haunted by traumatic memories.
But things just don’t seem right and, as scraps of memory come back to him, Jay realises he doesn’t know who to trust.
This gripping mystery will keep readers guessing to the end and asks some difficult questions about right and wrong and how sometimes they can both look the same.
As Jay discovers, parents come in many varieties, some good, some bad but mostly they are doing the best they can. And sometimes confronting your demons is the only way to heal.
More books like this
-
Extraordinary Birds
by Sandy Stark-McGinnis
9 to 14 years
-
The Apple Tart of Hope
by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
11 to 14 years
-
Boy vs Reality
by James Fox
9 to 14 years
-
The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away
by Sophie Anderson
9 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
St Patrick’s Day books for older children (9+)
Why not ring in St Patrick's Day this year by adding these books to your reading list? Our St Patrick's Day booklist featuring titles about or set in the Emerald Isle features a range of books - from tales of time travel, magic, witches, natural disasters and mythical worlds to both funny and hard-hitting books about contemporary Ireland and short stories too. We've picked out these titles for slightly older readers which could make you see Ireland in a whole new light... so which one will you be sampling first on 17 March?
-
Books featuring single dads for children 6 and up
Parents are not usually the focus of books for children – they’re not the ones having the adventures, after all! Here are some of our favourite stories that happen to have a single dad, including some adoptive dads, in the background. Sometimes this is through death, sometimes divorce, and sometimes the reason is never mentioned. All children will enjoy these fantastic stories for readers age 6 and up.
-
Brilliant books about summer for older children
Celebrate the sun with these children's books set during the summer holidays. These books are some of our favourite children's titles about the summer time, and with a wide range of genres, there's something for everyone.