Oscar’s Lion

I loved this although it is a curious beast (as is the eponymous Lion). As the digital proof doesn't have the illustrations and I can't see the font I'm not exactly sure which age group it's pitched to. Emotionally it's incredibly complex and relies on sophisticated inference and leaps of imagination that I think make it the kind of book that Yr 4/5/6 would engage with well in a class situation in particular. What I really love about Baron's writing is that he's not afraid of creating a complex narrative with no clear answers. Oscar's parents have gone one morning and a Lion is in their bedroom instead. He says he doesn't need feeding for two days... the inference is that he has eaten them of course but Oscar doesn't even really allow himself to dwell too much on this. As the time goes by and the Lion spends more time with him than his parents did (and is more fun!) Oscar starts looking more critically at his relationship with his parents. Is the Lion doing a better job of it despite the unanswered question about whether he might suddenly decide to eat him too? Oscar is still in shock from an event just as strange and alien to him as finding a lion in his house. His beloved Granny has recently died of a heart attack and he didn't get to say goodbye or see it coming and it doesn't seem as though his parents have really helped him through this loss. This is the underlying thread throughout the book- the shock of emotional events and a lack of assistance through it for this bewildered little boy (and someone else it turns out). I really didn't see the ending coming at all so I won't put any spoilers here. What a curious gem, this will stay with me for a long time.