This author won the Yoto Carnegie Medal in 2023 and so I wanted to read this on. This is a short, moving story that deals with the effects of dementia as well as loneliness within a family environment. Huw has a special relationship with his nan, she provides the hugs and the love that he feels are lacking in his home life where it is just him and his dad. He seems to have no connection with his dad who, when he is at home, spends his time scrolling on his phone - that is when he isn’t in a grumpy mood. Therefore, Huw often escapes to his nan. The one day, she calls him Johnny - the name of her elder brother who is a person that the family seems to have tried to forget. Huw has never even seen a photograph of him and the family never, ever talk about him. This incident is a sign that his nan is gradually deteriorating until the time comes when she has to leave her house - a really sad part of the book. She asks Huw to find out where her brother went - she wants to know before she forgets forever. The school project that Huw is given for the summer holidays is just what he needs and with his friends, they start the investigation which takes them to the Second World War and even more secrets. This is a moving book, and very relevant for families who are having to cope with an elderly relative who is suffering from dementia. It is also a story of love, and a story about being brave. A short novel but one that is packed full of emotion

The author delivers on quiet poignant family emotion once more. This will be a perfect book for recommending, espcially for any young people dealing with dementia in someone close to them. Nice historical context that might be new for some children aswell.

I had been looking forward to reading 'Feather' by Manon Steffan Ros and I was delighted to receive an ARC from Netgalley (this has not affected my review). Carefully constructed and deeply connective, the story deals with some deep issues (including dementia) in a sensitive and thoughtful way. A must-have for any class studying the Home Front.

Huw is 12 and lives with his Dad. When he's not at work, Huw's Dad spends most of his time scrolling through his phone, seemingly disinterested in Huw's life. Huw finds solace visiting his Nan, which he does most days. This is until the day Nan calls Huw by the name of her long lost brother Johnny, who she hasn't seen since the Second World War. Huw starts to worry something is really wrong with Nan as it soon becomes apparent this wasn't just a slip of the tongue. The bottom falls out of Huw's world as Nan deteriorates, and needs to be moved into a Care Home. Huw decides to try and find out what happened to Johnny after his Nan tells him she wants to know before she forgets her brother completely.

In amongst the awfulness of a dementia diagnosis it is easy to forget the huge impact this can have on children, when a much loved grandparent becomes a different person. Feather covers this subject with enormous compassion and tenderness in a very age appropriate manner. It is a beautifully written story about love, friendship and an understanding that sometimes being brave is not about heroics, but standing by your beliefs. This would make an ideal class reader for Upper KS2, and a great addition to any school library.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Firefly Press for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

Very moving short family story delving into the past.

Loved the author's book that won the Carnegie, so I saw the name and instantly scooped this up. It may be short, but it's a layered story of dementia, isolation in a family and war-time secrets.

Huw loves his grandma, she's warm and caring where his father only seems to have time for his phone. He is devastated when she begins to show signs of dementia, including calling him by her brother's name - Johnny. The name he knows the family has tried to forget, though he doesn't know why.

Encouraged by a school project to investigate a family member in the Second World War, Huw and some friends delve into his family's past, and even help his grandma as she senses herself losing her memories.

Tragic on several levels, there were scenes that had me in tears - between Huw and his dad, Huw and his grandma, and at the end when the whole story is known and seeing what was lost.

Highlighting several points about family, love and bravery in one short novel is no mean feat, and this did it beautifully.

For ages 10-14.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

'Feather' is a beautiful short middle-grade novel translated from Welsh by the author of the wonderful 'The Blue Book of Nebo'. This is a gentle story which nonetheless explores a number of serious themes.

Huw loves spending time with his grandmother, but starts to worry when she keeps calling him Johnny, the name of her brother who disappeared during the Second World War. At the same time, mysterious white feathers keep appearing. When he is set a summer holiday project to explore how the war affected his family's life, he and his friends Clare and Kieran decide to investigate what really happened to Johnny and uncover a story of courage taking an unexpected form. At the same time, Huw and his Dad have to come to terms with his grandmother's failing memory.

Manon Steffan Ros writes with such economy but also such sensitivity - about dementia, about war and its effect on families, and about Huw's strained relationship with his father. This is a book that will be enjoyed and remembered by older primary and younger secondary readers, and its length makes it an ideal choice for teachers to read to their classes. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

Another superb story from one of my favourite newly discovered authors. You've got to love a story that grabs you on page 1 and doesn't let you go until you finish the last page.

A short and sweet novella that could help young readers process feelings that come from seeing a loved one suffer with dementia.

For me the story just felt underdeveloped. Huw was a sweet character but we didn't really get to know him aside from his relationships with his dad and gran. His dad was very absent and the reasons for this were never really explored, nor was there any real hint at why Huw's mother wasn't around. The dementia storyline, although handled well, just developed far too quickly for any real depth to be achieved. And the storyline of Huw trying to find his great uncle was all a bit too easy, Huw didn't really have to work hard to find out what had happened, and the way his great uncle was portrayed made it hard to believe he'd have remained estranged.

This felt like a Barrington Stoke book to me, in the sense that very important themes were included but not explored in any great depth so as to keep the story accessible. I'm not quite sure who its target audience.

Huw is a 12 year old boy who finds joy in visiting his nan. A school project leads him to try to find out about his Nan's brother and why his name is never spoken by his otherwise chatty grandparent. This is a story of love, loss, regret and memories, beautifully written and leaves you with a feeling of hopeful melancholy.

Sorry for reviewing this so late. I sort books on shelf by the publication date so that I can review the ones that are about to be published and this one keeps getting pushed back in publication date. When I saw that it is about to be archived, I realised that I had to read this first.

The book gripped me from the first page. There is a note of poignancy that grips me. Huw is so relatable as the kid that thinks he is invisible. And his nan is just so loveable.

Will definitely get this when it is out and will use it in my course probably late next year.

NB I just went to have a look at Amazon because I want to put it on my list for purchase upon publication. It says publication date is 10th October, not the 8th April listed here. Good thing I had a look there and it will definitely go into my monthly order in October.

What a wonderful tale. We all read this together. We smiled, we cried and we discussed love and loss. Dementia was handled sensitively (missing out the worse traits) and Huw's emotions rang so true. A different slant on war. We will read this again and again.

I was very excited to read this after so much enjoyed “The Blue Book of Nebo”. This is very different.It concerns a twelve year old boy,Huw, who adores his Nan and who has to see her slip into the dark world of dementia.It’s understandably frightening for him but also curious as Nan begins to talk about her brother,Jonny of who there are no family records.Faced with a school project about WW2 Huw decides to see what he can find out about Jonny before it is too late for Nan.

This is an emotionally charged story which a child may find difficult but it does help to explain the slide into dementia well.I was less sure about the dialogue which at times didn’t have the voice of a child in my opinion. I think Iwould also have preferred the whole idea to be set a little further back in time so that the feather concept could have been better integrated.
My thanks to Firefly and Net Galley for this arc-all opinions are my own

Huw loves visiting his nan when he walks home after school - her house always smells of baking and Huw loves her hugs. But, one day, Nan seems to have forgotten who Huw is and she calls him Johhny – the late brother she never ever mentions. While Nan's memories are slowly lost as the dementia takes hold, Huw decides to find out what really happened to his great-uncle Johnny.

A lovely, quick read. Perfect for children who have a family member affected by dementia.

Feather
By Manon Steffan Ros
Published by Firefly Press Ltd

A beautifully written story of the love, loss and understanding one young character displays throughout this story of dementia.

Huw sees his nan on the way home from school most days – a routine they both enjoy. She bakes him cakes and asks no questions of him and never fusses about his homework. They both like it like that.

But Huw is shocked and confused when Nan forgets his name, and calls him Johnny – the long-unmentioned name of her late brother. As Nan’s memory worsens and the dementia takes over Huw and his friends have a quest to solve.
Researching into the long-lost life of Johnny, this is a story that grips from the start.
What happened to Johnny?
Who is telling the truth?
And why has no one mentioned him before?

Telling this story with the sadness of dementia at its core is both powerful and cruel, in an honest way. No one can describe the living loss of someone you love so dearly until it is happening to you.

Thank you Manon for writing this for our children, our families, our friends, our future generations. Because love and kindness strengthens us to hold onto the memories as we grieve.

Suitable for readers 11+

Joanne Bardgett - Teacher of littlies, lover of children’s literature
#Netgalley

Beautiful, heart-wrenching story of a young lad having to learn about, and come to terms with, his nan’s dementia. Encompassing the power of family, caring for older relatives and conscientious objectors in WW2 this book hits a lot of spots. I can see this being a very popular book with 10+ age group.

This book made me very emotional, I have to admit it. I loved The blue book of Nebo, and the writing in this one was just as beautiful.
I read it in one sitting, letting myself be engulfed by all the emotions I had felt while witnessing my grandfather battle dementia. And yet. This book also was full of love and hope, with a cast of touching characters, and a delight to read.

Manon Steffan Ros has written an incredibly powerful and moving story .

This is the story of Huw - 12 year old boy who lives with his dad but finds comfort in daily visits to his nan. Things change for him when his nan starts to forget things and starts to refer to Huw as Johnny - her older brother who she hasn't seen since the Second World War.

Huw is given the task of researching a family member's involvement in WWII as part of a summer holiday project and with his friends they start to try and piece together what happened to Johnny whilst at the same time Huw's life crumbles as his nan has to be rehoused and he feels that he and his dad have no connection- especially when Huw could do with a hug.

This is a book that tackles the impact of dementia ; with great sensitivity but without denying realities , the experiences of Huw will be familiar to be many young people and adults.

The exploration of family separation and the impact of war is also a topic that is rarely discussed. Nan's guilt is so sad.

This is an excellent read- the instances where nan struggles are so so moving and her realisation of what is happening and the ' everydayness" of her life of cooking, shopping and listening to ABBA add an additional poignancy.

This would make a great class read for upper key stage 2/lower key stage 3 or a good read for 10-13 year olds

A book that I will be highly recommending to colleagues in primary schools and friends as well.

Superb and important

A very powerful story that dissects a family story that has been believed by generations but where does the truth lie?
The author treats the story with care and attention to detail. So much going on for all the different characters, handled superbly well and not a wasted word..

📚 Book Review 📚

This is a beautiful and powerful story about a lad named Huw and the wonderful relationship he has with his fun loving nan.

Huw visits his nan every day after school and his story progresses, we learn that his grandma is showing signs of dementia which affects him and his life deeply. He lives with his dad, who is a single parent and is clearly struggling with aspects of being alone himself.

When Huw is given his end of year project, writing about a member of the family who was around in WW2, he learns about his nan’s long lost brother. A young man who no longer figures in his family’s life for reasons that were never discussed.

This is a wonderful story suitable for upper KS2 children, particularly about relationships and communication. It also explains that not all heroes are as historical conventions describe, sometimes it takes a lot more bravery to follow your heart. Beautiful 🪶

I’d like to thank Firefly Press, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 8th April 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A short but powerful story, tissues will be needed for the last few chapters!

#Feather is a story about a little boy named Huw who visits his nan every day on the way home from school. One day, she forgets his name and thinks he is her never talked about brother. As the dementia starts to grip the nan, Hew and his friends start to investigate what happened to the brother for his nan.

A beautifully told story that explores themes of friendship, family bonds, and dementia. Perfect for children aged 9+ who might be struggling with a grandparent who has dementia.

Thank you, @NetGalley_UK, for this advance copy. We will be getting a copy for our school library.