A powerful novel about a community devastated by unemployment and shaken by the fear of a terrifying beast roaming the moors which young Bill Coward is determined to track down at any cost. It started out as a game. A game that Billy and his friend Mick play to take their minds off the fact that the mill might be closing and everyone could lose their jobs. They'll hunt down the Haverston Beast, that's killing sheep and hens and maybe even men, and kill it. So what if the farmers say it's just a dog they know that it's real and they're out to prove it. But then Billy's dad finds out that the mill might close for ever, and suddenly the game doesn't seem so much fun any more and the terrifying Beast might be closer to home than Billy imagined... An astonishing novel about the monster that is unemployment, and its devastating effects on a local community, The Nature of the Beast is as painfully truthful and relevant today as it was when it was first published, to critical acclaim, in 1985.
This book is the winner of numerous awards
This book features in the following series: Lions Series, M Books, New Windmills Ks3 .
This book has been graded for interest at 9 years.
There are 176 pages in this book.
It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.
This book was published in 2011 by Walker Books Ltd .
Janni Howker, having published only three books to date, has been garlanded with awards (including the Whitbread and the Somerset Maugham), and her books have been successful in many languages. Anthony Browne is now regarded as one of the world's most popular and successful artists, and has won many awards in Great Britain, and also in the USA, Holland, Germany and other countries.
This book contains the following story:
The Nature of the Beast
It started out as a game. A game that Billy and his friend Mick play to take their minds off the fact that the mill might be closing and everyone could lose their jobs. They'll hunt down the Haverston Beast, that's killing sheep and hens and maybe even men, and kill it. So what if the farmers say it's just a dog - they know that it's real and they're out to prove it. But then Billy's dad finds out that the mill might close for ever, and suddenly the game doesn't seem so much fun any more - and the terrifying Beast might be closer to home than Billy imagined... An astonishing story about the monster that is unemployment, and its devastating effects on a local community.
This book has been nominated for the following award:
Whitbread Book Award - Novel
This book was recognised in the Novel category by the Whitbread Book Award.
"* "One of the most exciting and talented writers we have." Philip Pullman * "Full of feeling, anger and explosiveness." Guardian * "An amazingly gifted writer." Times Educational Supplement * "One of the leading writers for teenagers of the decade." Observer"
