Stonebird

By: Mike Revell

Narrated by: Joe Jameso

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

When 10-year-old Liam's family moves to be near his grandmother, who is suffering from dementia, he's left to navigate his new neighborhood, school, and grandmother's illness all by himself. His mom regularly loses herself in a bottle of wine, and his sister sneaks out to who knows where shortly after "wine o'clock" - as they've come to call it - strikes. Life it isn't easy.

The one place he seems to find solace is a rundown church where he finds an oversized gargoyle that keeps drawing him in. After learning that gargoyles were created to protect people from demons and evil spirits, he can't seem to shake the image of the old stone bird, and its presence weaves itself into the stories Liam tells himself and others, so much so that Liam starts to believe that it might be alive.

Shy Liam's only means of confidence during shared story time is to tell tales of the gargoyle. His classmates mock him at first but are soon captivated by his storytelling, and his teacher's slight nods of encouragement fuel Liam's belief in the bird and lead him to think that she knows a thing or two about the old bird herself.

As his home life gets harder and the bullies more relentless, the gargoyle seemingly brings Liam's stories to life - swooping in to protect and defend him in the most unexpected ways. But is the old stone bird really alive, or is it just Liam's imagination finding ways to help him through a difficult time?

©2015 Mike Revell (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"I loved this and read it in one sitting.... It's a really special debut, full of heart, hope and the power of storytelling" ( Bookseller)

"Incredibly moving.... [ Stonebird] has a beautiful message founded in a strong moral compass, that every story must be told and every person, remembered in its telling." ( We Love This Book)

"[A] wonderfully engaging and thought-provoking debut." ( Booklist )