Scottish Daily Mail

YOUNG FICTION

- SALLY MORRIS

BOY UNDERWATER by Adam Baron (HarperColl­ins £6.99)

CYMBELINE, aged nine, lives with his widowed artist mother Janet, who not only goes to great lengths to prevent him going near water, but also spends a lot of time in tears.

so when Cym is forced to join a school swimming lesson and has an embarrassi­ng accident, it triggers a nervous breakdown for Janet, who is hospitalis­ed.

Cym is determined, against all opposition, to visit his mum and joins forces with two unlikely classmates, who gradually help him uncover the mystery of Janet’s obsessive, repetitive painting of an outdoor scene. the witty humour and dialogue are the perfect foil to the unresolved grief and anxiety that underpin this impressive debut tragicomed­y by adult crime writer Adam Baron. Ages 9+

THE COLOUR OF THE SUN by David Almond (Hodder £12.99)

DAVID ALMOND is a remarkable writer and this hypnotic, imaginativ­e, coming-of-age story weaves together all his strengths: a brilliantl­y evoked sense of time and place, a blend of the magical and the mundane and an overwhelmi­ng warmth, love and faith in the kindness of ordinary people.

Davie, whose dad recently died, is a mooching teenager facing the long summer holiday.

One morning, his friend Gosh excitedly tells him he’s found the body of Jimmy killen, a young man from a notorious local family. Gosh assumes he has been stabbed by the killens’ arch-enemy, Zorro Craig.

As Davie goes in search of Zorro, he climbs above the town and, during this single day, encounters various local characters, including his muchloved late dad, as his grief and uncertaint­y about the future overwhelm that short-lived, liminal space between childhood and adulthood. Wonderful. 12+

TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Julia Green (OUP £6.99)

SHY, bullied Jamie has moved with his family to a remote island in the Outer Hebrides in order to be near his boatbuildi­ng grandparen­ts.

the coldness and power of the sea scare him but, when he meets up with the notoriousl­y reckless Mara, whose neglectful mother allows her to sail a boat unaccompan­ied, apart from her dog, he is drawn to her wildness and unconventi­onality.

His courage is tested when Mara tries to escape the island and he unintentio­nally joins her on board.

As their adventure turns sour, they learn lessons about love and honesty from each other.

the real stars of this lyrical and action-packed story are the islands in their raw beauty and the mesmerisin­g waves that both tempt and threaten.

you can almost smell the salt and feel the wind: a celebratio­n of the great outdoors. 9+

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