The Times' Best Books for Children 2021



"How quickly teenagers fall apart – and how fast they can heal. This is the hopeful message from Sita Brahmachari, a writer who mixes verse and prose to tell stories that stick." - Alex O’Connell, The Times


Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future – until Kai’s family suffers a huge loss.


Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a new and more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and new classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?<


A heart-breaking and poignant novel from award-winning author Sita Brahmachari, for fans of THE BLACK FLAMINGO, AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY and POET X.


PRAISE FOR WHEN SHADOWS FALL:


"When Shadows Fall is an invitation to join a community at the heart of which is the tale of a young man gripped by tragedy and trauma. The book offers hope though mutual support and a focus in figuring out what really matters… I was moved and uplifted." - Michael Rosen


"Full of empathy and hope … Kai's story is a must read for teens to explore how easily things can fall apart but also how we can heal." - A. M. Dassu, author of Boy, Everywhere


“A song of growing up, grief and the power of connection, When Shadows Fall is an illuminating and lyrical read” - Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower


“Beautifully told with real care, tenderness and heart” - Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha and the Spirit Bird


“Sita’s lyrical prose captures the raw emotions of adolescence – of a young person navigating their way through grief and troubled times. A book for all of us.” - Gill Lewis, author of Swan Song


“A heart-wrenching story about loss and art and nature, about how things can fall apart and how friends stand beside one another no matter what” - Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of How to Change the World


“Empathetic, original, searingly sad in places, but full of hope, & the power of friendship, art, music, wild places, and ravens” - Nicola Penfold, author of Where the World Turns Wild


"A gripping, tender, terrifying work... Impactful, innovative, and deeply moving." - Sinéad O’Hart, author of The Eye of the North