Finding Violet Park | TheBookSeekers

Finding Violet Park


No. of pages 208

Published: 2012

Great for age 9-18 years

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Narrated by the most compelling voice since Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, this is a quirky and original voyage of self-discovery triggered by a lost urn of ashes. The mini cab office was up a cobbled mews with little flat houses either side. That's where I first met Violet Park, what was left of her. There was a healing centre next door, a pretty smart name for a place with a battered brown door and no proper door handle and stuck-on wooden numbers in the shape of clowns. The 3 of number 13 was a w stuck on sideways and I thought it was kind of sad and I liked it at the same time. Sixteen-year-old Lucas Swain becomes intrigued by the urn of ashes left in a cab office. Convinced that its occupant Violet Park is communicating with him, he contrives to gain possession of the urn, little realising that his quest will take him on a voyage of self-discovery and identity, forcing him to finally confront what happened to his absent (and possibly dead) father

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book has been graded for interest at 13 years.

There are 208 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 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers .

Jenny Valentine moved house every two years when she was growing up. She has also worked as a teaching assistant and a jewellery maker. She studied English Literature at Goldsmiths College, which almost put her off reading but not quite.

 

This book has been nominated for the following awards:

Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a prestigious literary award in the United Kingdom that celebrates outstanding debut children's novels. Established in 2000, the award honours the memory of Branford Boase, a children's book publisher, and aims to recognize new authors who demonstrate exceptional storytelling skills and originality in their first published work. The award is aimed at children's literature, specifically focusing on works for readers aged 8 to 12 years. A panel of judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominated titles. There is no public voting process.

Guardian Fiction Award
This book was recognised by the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Award. This award was founded in 1967 and winners are selected by fellow writers. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above.

Carnegie Medal
This book was recognised by the Carnegie Award. The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

Praise for Jenny Valentine:

`Valentine has the essential storyteller's gift of making you want to read on - and to know more even after the book is finished.' Guardian

`The award-winning Valentine has a keen eye for the idiosyncrasies of young children, and the rhythms of family life.' The Bookseller

`[Valentine] has a wonderful ability to take readers right into the hearts and souls of her central characters, and reading her is always a truly vicarious experience.' The Bookbag

Praise for Finding Violet Park:

"Finding Violet Park is a wonderful debut." Guardian

"Ultra-original and brilliantly written, this will have you laughing and crying, too." Mizz

"Clever and totally assured, it is hard to believe that this is a first novel from a new author... [an] ingenious novel from a writer who already has much to offer. *****" Nicholas Tucker, Books for Keeps

"Memorable and well-paced, this is a book to help young people grow in spite of adversity." Carousel

"This is terrific stuff and quite unlike anything else I've come across.... a powerful and compelling story." Inis

"First-time author Jenny Valentine has an original and exciting voice." Writing Magazine