October, October: WINNER OF THE YOTO CARNEGIE MEDAL 2022

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I wanted October to have something to care for, and her relationship with the owl gently mirrors her own developing relationship with her mother. It also helps her understand what it is to be wild, what it is to belong, and when it's kindest to let go even though it hurts. I spoke to the Barn Owl Trust for some help with owl care and development, and also went to visit a local bird sanctuary to see some of their residents. They're such beautiful creatures. The character development and familiar relationships has really been thought out well. I felt so much empathy for all of the characters and wanted them all to unite. This author writes so beautifully that at times you felt like you were there with October every step of the way. The breakdown of the words and the different font sizes at parts to emphasise the loudness was absolutely effective, almost poetic. Being wild and free is different for every person and every thing and it can be folded into the woods or whirling through the city streets”

It’s also interesting to know that the inspiration for October’s father’s chosen way of life was in fact Katya Balen’s own father-in-law, who lives off-grid. The early writer Katya Balen's October, October is a very special new addition to the shelf and deserves classic status - Times Children's Book of the Week The Light in Everything is a two-voice novel, again featuring children with needs and inner traumas. Zofia, born in a storm, lives in a storm of jealousy,resentment and fury when her father brings his pregnant girlfriend and her son Tom to live with them. Zofia can’t believe that her father would be willing to break up their home and their special relationship in this way. Balen's immensely touching, well-written story about the pleasures and perils of wildness combines a lush, autumnal sensibility with a perceptive story about a transitional phase in a young girl's life. - Booktrust

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So, even though this is the first of the Carnegie Medal Shortlist that I have read this year, I loved it and, yes, I believe it should win! Which will make it difficult reading the rest of the shortlist. Katya Balen also tells me: ‘I am working on book 4, which is about two sisters who set out into the wildlands to find their mother. It’s very different to my previous books but I’m excited about it.’ A timeless, lyrical treasure that sees a girl who's at one with the wild struggle with the world beyond her woods ... An unforgettable story, an unforgettable heroine - LoveReading4Kids I hope so. There are so many things in life we can't control, but knowing that even if things don't go to plan, you can still find your way and build your future - that's so important. I would highly recommend this beautiful book not only for the heart tugging storyline but for the splendid descriptions of the woodland and the city. October's perspective of the city is alarming yet enthralling. With every new discovery of the modern world she makes, life seems to become more bearable. I find it breath taking how the descriptions can profoundly move you and how the comparison between wild and free run not only through the theme of the environment, but the main characters sense of belonging too.

How would you like teachers to introduce their children to the book, and how would you like to see it used in the classroom?Tom is small for his age, frightened of many things, especially the dark, and is haunted by the memory of his abusive father.He feels he has no place in this new family or this new school. ‘I sit quietly on the edges and there will be no empty space left when I go.’ And yet Zofia’s friends take to him, her father is gentle and kind to him, and it is Zofia who begins to feel left out, on the edge. Newly published as I write this is a novella published by Barrington Stoke. Birdsong is the story of a young flautist who can’t play her flute any more because of a traumatic accident. I’m looking forward to reading it. I’ll admit that I was drawn to the front cover before I knew what the story was about. The beautiful lines and rich colours give a sense of what October’s world is like before it all goes wrong. The lines are almost cacophonous in places, but in a busy way rather than a messy way, which somewhat reflects October herself. October, October full cover artwork by Angela Harding

I think when you're about October's age you start to realise your parents are actually real people who make mistakes or have their own wishes and wants. October's mum couldn't handle the wild life, but she loves October very much. October has to face up to the fact that not wanting to live in the woods doesn't make her mother a bad person, and that the world outside her woods isn't as terrible as she'd always feared. That's a huge challenge for October. I'd like teachers to talk about themes of belonging and of difference. It would be wonderful to see children writing stories based on things they scavenge or about being wild and free - where do they feel those things? It's different for everyone.I've also just been introduced to the first two stunning children's books by Katya Balen, both published by Bloomsbury: The Space We're In and October, October. If you have a middle-grader, or know one, or are one ... treat yourself -- Daniel Hahn - Books of the Year, The Spectator Balen perfectly shows how easy it can be for neurotypical people like October’s mother not to understand, and that it’s (normally) due to ignorance, not malice. And although October’s situation and relationships do improve, she doesn’t “get over it”, as I imagine some stories would be tempted to end with – that wouldn’t be right. Whether she is neurodivergent or not, the story shows that it is a part of her and always will be, and shouldn’t be treated as something to be “fixed”. Balen shows us that she just requires a little more patience and consideration, which October’s mother starts to realise as the story progresses. October and her dad live a mostly self-sustaining life in the woods. They grow their own food (some of which they trade with the local dairy farmer), they swim the lake and howl at the stars, and they take care of the trees, just the two of them. October is proud to say “we live in the woods and we are wild”. They revel in the nature and the seasons, they take care of their environment and the woods take care of them.