A BOY CALLED HOPE
 
I'm Dan Hope and deep inside my head I keep a list of things I want to come true. For example, I want my sister, Ninja Grace, to go to university at the North Pole and only come back once a year. I want to help Sherlock Holmes solve his most daring mystery yet.
 
And if it could be a zombie mystery, all the more exciting. I want my dog to stop eating the planets and throwing them up on the carpet. And finally, the biggest dream of all, I want my dad to love me.
 
Product description
Review
This book totally blew me away. I love it. It's the best new voice I have read in ages. --Cathy Cassidy, author

Warm, heartbreaking and hilarious in turn... a fabulous book about love, families and making sense of life. --The Sunday Express

A joyous, heart-breaking and life-affirming story of one boy and his messy, muddled and madcap family. --Lovereading4kids

A brave bold and funny debut which comes with recommendations from fellow author Cathy Cassidy perfect for fans of both her and Jacqueline Wilson. --Lytham St. Anne's Express

There are a lot of misunderstandings and surprises in this moving story, full of highs and lows but never losing hope. You feel everything Dan goes through and with him you realise what really makes a family. --Primary Times

A story that will bring you to laughter, move you to tears and one that you won't be able to put down long after you have finished reading it. This is a story told with touching reality... it is rich, stunningly beautiful and a must-read for all young teens. --School Librarian

This is a beautifully rendered account of little Dan Hope and his madcap plans to fix his family after his dad leaves them. --Little London

Thought provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. A bold and moving book about family life in all its shapes and sizes. --Books are my Bag

A touching and humorous read which will appeal to both girls and boys who enjoy emotionally challenging stories about family and friendship. --Bookbuzz

Upon finishing this book I was speechless. I wasn't expecting such a poignant, beautifully written, heartbreaking and heart-warming story from a debut novel. --Croydon Advertiser

Lovely, heartwarming, funny read. I laughed out loud, and I may have shed a tear or two. --Michelle Harrison, author

A thought-provoking, moving and very funny debut. --The Bookseller

A beautifully written and heartfelt novel that made me laugh and cry in equal measure... perfect for fans of Wonder and even for older readers who like Erin Lange and John Green. --Gem Routledge, Waterstones

A Boy Called Hope will tug at your heartstrings and probably make your eyes all leaky, but it's such a great book for huddling under a blanket with. After reading this book, you might want to go and tell everyone closest to you how much you appreciate them. --The Mile Long Bookshelf
 
About the Author
 
Lara's debut novel, A Boy Called Hope has been shortlisted for lots of prizes, including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the IBW Book Award, and won the Sheffield Children's Book Award 2015 and the Salford Children's Book Award 2016. Her second novel, The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair, was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Lara was born and studied in Northern Ireland, before moving to London. She loves tap-dancing, daydreaming, eating chips, wearing glitter and writing. Not necessarily in that order.