Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson – Book Review #AD #PRproduct @strangelymagic

Norah’s Ark by Victoria Wiliamson

Ultimate Book Tour with The Write Reads
Genre: Middle Grade, friendship
Length: 304 Pages
Published: 29th August 2023

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Norahs-Ark-Victoria-Williamson/dp/1911107992/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186563553-norah-s-ark

My Review

Norah’s Ark is written in alternating points of view from Norah and Adam. They are both eleven and don’t know each other at the start of the book. Their lives are very different but they both share a common goal and both need their lives to change. I loved this book for many reasons. It deals with a lot of issues such as poverty, homelessness, serious illness, bullying l, secrets and children not being given agency or being listened to. Williamson has a knack for capturing emotions and feelings, particularly frustration. Norah’s fierce independence and love for her dad really shine through and she’ll do anything to protect him. Adam’s strength of feeling about his situation is powerful. I loved the way the children’s friendship developed – not that it was plain sailing. The pacing was great with tension gradually building and I really loved the outcome. Norah’s Ark was written with sensitivity and insight. I think it could be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and would make a great class reading book for schools. This is the second book of the author’s that I have read and I am really impressed by both. Huge thanks to Dave from The Write Reads for my gifted copy of the book and of course to Neem Tree Press and Victoria Williamson.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Blurb

Two very different lives. One shared hope for a brighter future. No time to waste. The flood is coming…
Eleven-year-old Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. But she’s happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for. Eleven-year-old Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn’t perfect – far from it. He’s recovering from leukaemia and is questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer. When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they’re not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam find his confidence again? Can Adam help Norah solve the mystery of her missing mother? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood? Offering powerful lessons in empathy, Norah’s Ark is a hopeful and uplifting middle-grade tale for our times about friendship and finding a sense of home in the face of adversity.

About the Author

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com