By Patrice Lawrence (author)
"Storytelling high on impact and insight as a young girl struggles to keep her life from unravelling"
Paperback Temporarily Out Of Stock £7.99 £7.19
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May 2022 Book of the Month - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize 2023 | Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023
Patrice Lawrence’s new book for Barrington Stoke is heartrending and thought-provoking, a taut first-person narrative that many will find themselves reading in one sitting. 15-year-old Charlene is struggling to stay in control of her life. She’s been in care since her mother died two years ago and desperately misses her little sister, who is living with her own father.
Knitting is Charlene’s therapy, the click, click, click of the needles helping her find calm, but the pressures she faces at school and outside are overwhelming. An act of cruelty against her leads Charlene to rage and violence. As the security she has known unravels, readers will understand her despair and frustration, particularly at the constant demands on her to be sorry.
Written to be accessible to all readers, Needle lets us see through someone else’s eyes, highlighting the restrictive effects of society’s expectations of individuals. Vivid, powerful and unforgettable.
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers
Award-winning author Patrice Lawrence explores the harsh reality of the criminal justice system for young people in this riveting teen drama.
Read the full description
Charlene is a demon knitter. It's the only thing she enjoys and the only thing she believes she's really good at. So when her foster mum's son destroys her latest creation, Charlene loses it and stabs him in the hand with her knitting needle. It damages a nerve and she gets sucked into the criminal justice system for assault.
Charlene's not sorry and she's never apologised to anyone in her life. But people keep telling her that if she says sorry, they'll go easier on her. Can she bring herself to say it and not mean it when her freedom's at stake?
Praise for Patrice Lawrence;
“Fresh and important ... Patrice Lawrence is a hot name in publishing” The Times
“Distinguished by brilliant nuanced characterisation” The Guardian
A World Book Day Author 2019
Patrice Lawrence was born in Brighton and brought up in an Italian-Trinidadian household in Mid Sussex. Patrice lives in east London and shares a cat called Stormageddon. She has been writing for as long as she has been reading. She loves crime fiction, sci-fi and trying to grow things. Her ideal mixtape includes drum 'n' bass, Bruce Springsteen and Studio Ghibli soundtracks. Music can't help creeping into her books. Her debut novel, Orangeboy , won the Waterstone's Book Prize for Older Readers and the YA Book Prize, and her second novel, Indigo Donut , won the Crime Fest Best Crime Fiction for Young Adults and was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize.
A Guide for Readers with Dyslexia from Barrington Stoke
Award-winning Author Patrice Lawrence MBE Announced as Waterstones Children's Laureate 2026-2028
Books about Children in Care and Family Experiences of the Care System
Dyslexia Awareness Week - what is it and how can you support your dyslexic readers?
Yoto Carnegie Medal 2023
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Award-winning author Patrice Lawrence explores the harsh reality of the criminal justice system for young people in this riveting teen drama. Charlene is a demon knitter.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Needle and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Needle features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Teens, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Gritty Reads, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
Needle was written by Patrice Lawrence and published by Barrington Stoke Ltd
Needle has 120 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
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