My Name is Leon
De Waal, KitNine-year-old Leon has already mastered some important life lessons and knows how to look after his new baby brother Jake; someone has to, as their mother Carol is not able to adequately care for her sons. When the inevitable happens and Leon and Jake come to the attention of Social Services, Jake is promptly adopted while Leon remains in foster care.
Set against the race riots of 1980s Britain, this is a moving, understated story, narrated by the endearing Leon, and that compassionately examines a fractured family at the mercy of others.
Pages
262
262
Year
2016
2016
Reviews
30-10-2023
Author did an amazing job writing from a child's point of view. We felt it was a powerful story which reflected current issues with similar children all over the world. Great characterisations. All of us enjoyed reading this heart wrenching novel.
20-07-2023
We all LOVED this book. Well-written. Very sad. It brought three of us to tears. Loved the 80s feel to it.
20-03-2023
We all loved this book and after reading the author's background, thought she was the ideal person to write such a book, with the right amount of empathy, perception and sensitivity. So easy to read, highly recommended.
11-10-2021
Delightful easy read, enjoyed by everyone. We all found the child's point of view very interesting.
23-08-2021
Everyone loved this book for varying reasons. Sad, funny, realistic - we wanted a sequel!
14-05-2021
Enjoyed by all. Most found parts of the book grim, but loved Leon's character.
11-05-2021
Everyone loved this book and there was lots of discussion, beautifully written and easy to read.
25-09-2020
All our readers found this book very readable and engrossing - and sad! Some cried.
22-11-2019
The group was unanimous in our evaluation of this book - we all loved it. Character development was well mapped, descriptive and real. We felt empathy for Leon, and were taken on his journey.
20-11-2019
This book was loved by every member of our mixed group. We loved the characters ( particularly Leon); the way the author constructed the sentences; and the way the story unfolded. It was so realistic. We truly believe it would make a wonderful study book for young adults and for would-be foster carers alike. We would love to see some more from this author.
13-11-2019
We loved the book. A great easy read and lots of discussion.
13-11-2019
All those who read this book were very surprised at how good it was. Highly recommend.
09-10-2019
Half of us liked this book; the others were not over-enthusiastic, but hard to pin down why that was!
23-09-2019
We enjoyed this book very much and had a good discussion. Within our group we have those who have experienced adoption, fostering,social work, and England in the 1980s and at the time of the riots. We thought the writer provided a realistic and sympathetic picture of the different characters and were impressed by the way she inhabited the mind of a young boy. The style made the book easy to read but the content was at times challenging and moving.
12-08-2019
A good read - everyone read it and enjoyed it.
17-06-2019
Most of us thought it an emotional read. We all enjoyed the writing style.
17-06-2019
We enjoyed this book very much, especially the relationships which developed between Leon and his carers. Beautifully and realistically written from the mind of a 9 year old boy.