Little House by Katya Balen

Little House by Katya Balen

By Katya Balen (author) , Richard Johnson (illustrator)

"Tender, insightful and beautifully told"

Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19

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Reading Age 8+ Interest Age 9+

Juno is furious with her mother for leaving her with her grandfather during the holidays as she goes to help people they don’t know, far away.

Grandpa’s house is deep in the countryside, there’s no-one to play with, nothing to do, until Juno finds an old dolls’ house in the attic, complete with its forlorn little family. Soon, with Grandpa’s help, she is making them a new house, and with her mum’s parting words in her head, working to make it a home too. This small holiday pastime helps Juno understand the true meaning of home and it bring her closer to her mum too.

Katya Balen’s story is tender and profound, characterized by her ability to explain complex issues simply for young readers. Once again, Richard Johnson ’s illustrations are beautiful, the perfect match for the story.

The importance and meaning of home is explored in this thought-provoking new novella from Carnegie Medal winning author Katya Balen.

Read the full description

Juno’s furious about being sent to stay with her grandfather for the summer. She’ll miss all the fun she and her friends had planned for the holidays. She’ll also miss her mum, but it’s her mum’s fault for leaving anyway. Then Juno discovers a long-forgotten little family in her grandfather’s attic. As she works to carefully craft a new home for them, can she learn to forgive her mum and understand her reasons for going away?

Packed with luminous, lyrical prose that makes Katya a firm favourite.

'An enchantingly told, exquisitely illustrated story about a young girl's move from cosy innocence to a growing understanding of some of the sadnesses in the wider world. It oozes with all the charm of a beloved grandparent’s home – a wild garden, creaking staircases, and a sloping attic with true treasure to be found. And so much good food it made my mouth water!' – Nicola Penfold

'Fierce, brace and compassionate' – Natasha Farrant

'It was charming, tender and shone a sensitive spotlight on the true meaning of home. As for Juno's grandfather's cooking … well, all I can say is I would like to stay there myself!' – A.M. Howell

'Beautiful and heartbreaking and glorious all at once. A little masterpiece.' – Struan Murray

Katya Balen is an award-winning author of books for children. Katya's debut novel, The Space We’re In , was published in 2019 and was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award. Her second, October, October , won the Yoto Carnegie Medal. Her third novel, The Light in Everything, was published in 2022.

When she’s not writing books, Katya likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake, and attempt to keep all her house plants alive. She lives in London with her partner and their dogs Raffi and Mouse.

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The importance and meaning of home is explored in this thought-provoking new novella from Carnegie Medal winning author Katya Balen. Juno’s furious about being sent to stay with her grandfather for the summer.

The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Little House and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old

Little House features in the following genres: Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 11+, Recommendations, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 9+, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 9+ readers

Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.

Little House was written by Katya Balen and published by Barrington Stoke Ltd

Little House has 80 pages

£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.

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