The Final Year

Highly accessible, lyrical and life affirming, this is must-have novel that will authentically resonate with so many under-represented children and perfectly captures what this crucial transition period feels like. As such, it is a must-read for adults as well as the children who will devour it. It will also resonate with children who have made that transition and perhaps help them with their own feelings, as well as encouraging them to write for themselves. * Joy Court, LoveReading4Kids - Book of the Month *The Final Year is a book that needs to be read in one sitting in a quiet room where no one can you hear you sob. Beautiful verse novel about a boy heading into Year 6 Joe Todd Stanton’s illustrations are perfect for Matt Goodfellow’s words. * Caroline Fielding *A powerful story about growing up and coping with loss – both at school and at home. Written in verse, it plays with words so cleverly, so beautifully, carrying all kinds of emotion and conflict between its lines that linger long after you’ve finished. * Book Clubs in Schools *

Matt Goodfellow is a former primary school teacher and now a full-time poet. He visits schools across the country to give high-energy performances and workshops. His first poetry collection for Otter-Barry Books, Chicken on the Roof, received wide acclaim. He is also the author of Caterpillar Cake, illustrated by Krina Patel-Sage, Shu-Lin’s Grandpa, illustrated by Yu Rong, and a contributor to Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings, all published by Otter-Barry Books. Matt lives in Stockport, Manchester, UK.

Joe Todd-Stanton is an author/illustrator who grew up in Brighton and studied at UWE Bristol. His picture book The Secret of Black Rock was longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Award and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. DreamWorks Animation have optioned the motion picture rights to his Brownstone’s Mythical Collection series. He has twice been shortlisted for the Oscar’s Book Prize.