The Storm Swimmer

About this book

Ginika's mum and dad are in some sort of financial trouble, and they aren't giving her the full story which is really puzzling - and worrying. They send her off to live with her grandparents by the sea for the summer - and possibly even longer.

At first Ginika misses her parents, London and particularly her best friend so much... but then she meets Peri, a boy who lives in the sea, swims with dolphins and speaks a strange bubbly language. He's so curious about Ginika's life on land, the two start to communicate, and a remarkable secret friendship begins.

But then the noise and lights of the human world start making Peri ill - and his parents are far away. Everything starts to get really scary and as nobody knows about Peri apart from Ginika's new friend Ted, how can she even sort it out?

This is a very exciting, unusual and truly imaginative adventure story which is expertly told. It's at once easy to read and also magical and lyrical.

It takes in themes of coping with adversity, being out of your comfort zone, being brave, complexities of friendship, belonging and being seen as different and having a lack of control about what happens to you.

It really would be a great book to read if a child has enjoyed seeing the movie Avatar: The Way of the Water as Peri feels like he'd be at home with the people of the reef-dwelling Metkayina clan!