By Lindsay Littleson (author) Part of the Kelpies series
"A tale of friendship and loyalty, with strong messages about dementia and the impact it has on everyone, racism, perseverance and reality and not being judgemental."
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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This is the story of Luca, his family and his friends.
Luca is 12, not the perfect pupil, but with ideas of how he would like to see his life pan out as an adult, a boy with many mature and loyal traits. He wants to take over his family’s ice cream café, which is not thriving, but he has ideas. There is a recipe from his grandparents, which claims to be the best vanilla ice cream in the world and Luca believes if he can recreate this, the café will prosper. He even wins a competition for his recipe.
On the surface, this story seems to have a straightforward plot, make icecream, save café, but there is so much more to this lovely book. It is a tale of friendship and loyalty. Luca’s friendships with his peers, but also his family relationships. A father, who has moved to Italy. In Luca’s own words, ‘he has done a runner’.
His wonderful relationship with his grandmother, who throughout the book has a progressive deterioration in her mental health and is diagnosed with dementia. There are also sub stories. His friendship with Sitara, an Afghanistan immigrant, conveys so many of her difficulties and is so insightful of the hardships she faced leaving her country and the prejudice she has faced in Scotland.
The book is set in Glasgow and the colloquial expressions and dialect take a little getting used to. By the end I was reading them in my head with a far more confident lilt! At one point, Luca travels to Italy to visit his father. A wonderfully descriptive and colourful chapter, but also one where Luca comes to terms with his father’s new life and where he learns more about his past.
There are so many strong messages running through this book, dementia and the impact it has on everyone, racism, perseverance and reality and not being judgemental. It would make a super text for discussion in class. Although many of the themes are serious, the book is also humorous and a very honest look at human nature and characteristics. The conclusion is both heartwarming and uplifting. A really good read.
Twelve-year-old Luca Verani has his future all mapped out: who needs school when he's going to take over his family's ice cream cafe? But then his aunt announces she's selling the struggling business and Luca realises that his nonna's memory is disappearing. Plus, he's starting high school and one of his best friends Sitara is being targeted by racist bullies.
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As Luca's worries pile up, will his dreams melt away?
Ice Cream Boy is a heart-warming novel from Lindsay Littleson, author of Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns .
Full of authentic dialogue, gentle humour and true-to-life characters, this engaging middle-grade novel explores the thoughts and feelings of children affected by dementia.
'My favourite Lindsay book... An amazing, heartwarming tale of fractured families, dementia and delicious secret ice-cream recipes!' - Maisie Chan, author of Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
Lindsay Littleson is an award-winning middle-grade author from Glasgow, Scotland. Her books include Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, The Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Kelpies Prize-winning The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean, which was also longlisted for the Waterstones Children's Books Prize. Inspired by many happy years as a primary teacher, Lindsay's books have been praised for their believable characters and authentic dialogue. She currently lives in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
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Twelve-year-old Luca Verani has his future all mapped out: who needs school when he's going to take over his family's ice cream cafe? But then his aunt announces she's selling the struggling business and Luca realises that his nonna's memory is disappearing.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Ice Cream Boy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Ice Cream Boy features in the following genres: Cooking / Food, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Practical interests, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, School Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Stories about Family and Friends, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Ice Cream Boy was written by Lindsay Littleson and published by Floris Books
Ice Cream Boy has 229 pages
Yes it is part of Kelpies series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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