Leila and the Blue Fox: An enthralling, uplifting adventure story from the creators of JULIA AND THE SHARK

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Mainly, set on a boat in the Arctic Circle, this book is perfect for ages 8-11 who like heartwarming adventure stories. The emotional mood of her story is perfectly matched by Tom de Freston’s beautiful and atmospheric illustrations.

With Leila and the Blue Fox and the earlier Julia and the Shark, she and Freston have created something quite unique for middle grade readers.The landscape/seascape described both visually in the illustrations and verbally in the language enhance an exciting storyline. Moreover, as their journey continues and both humans and the fox encounter peril, the stories interweave so deftly, making for a stunning read. We hear snippets about her journey from Damascus fleeing the war, but it’s her journey back to her Mother that is the most heart wrenching. The relationship between this pre-teen girl and her estranged mother sways satisfyingly back and forth from resentment and animosity to compassion and understanding.

Leila and the Blue Fox is an easy recommendation for me; if you’ve read and loved Julia and the Shark, you’ll be sure to love Leila’s story aswell. Another beautifully told and illustrated story that explores really important themes that will tug at your heartstrings.Around this time last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Julia and the Shark ; the first collaborative efford of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. I would recommend adults to read the novel, not just because it is a wonderful book for any age, but because there are many aspects of the plot which can lead to discussion and sharing.

In 2019 scientists of the Norwegian Polar Institute fitted a young fox with a GPS device which tracked its journey across the ice from Svalbard to Greenland.A treacherous and dangerous journey on the surface, but textured touchingly with themes such as experiencing and accepting new surroundings, mother-daughter relationships, and the hardships faced by refugees fleeing their home country for their own safety. She’s a graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and lives in Oxford with her husband and cats, in a house between a river and a forest.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling. Miso’s adventure is inspired by the true story of the Arctic fox that walked two thousand miles in just seventy-six days. Leila and her mother's situation and relationship is complicated and far from perfect, so as well as the story of Miso the fox and her travels across the Arctic, we have Leila's story coming to terms with what had happened to she and her family in the past, and with who her mother is and her mother's choices (as well as her own). Leila's and Miso’s stories are intertwined - both are lost, have hope, don’t give up and find love in the end. Migration can be caused by war, famine, drought, tsunami, rejection, anything… as Leila’s mum says, “migration is necessary for survival.Leila is a Syrian refugee and after six years of living apart from her Professor mother, she is leaving her new home in London to be reunited with her mother in Norway.