The Sky Over Rebecca
Author: Matthew Fox @mattfoxwriter
Illustrated by: Ben Mantle @BenMMantle
Published by: Hodder Children’s Books @Hachettekids
Published on: April 2022
Price: £7.99
First line: Somebody had made a snow angel in a perfect white snow drift down by the lake.
Genre: Historical fiction
Age: 9+
ISBN: 978 1 444 96470 7
What’s it all about? Rebecca is a lonely child living in Stockholm, Sweden. Her two passions are ice skating and look at the stars through her telescope. Her two most important people are: her mum, and her grandad. This all changes as soon as she she sees a mysterious snow angel down by the lake. Who created it? How was it created (as there are no footmarks nearby)? Soon, she will find two hidden Jewish children on the island in the middle of the lake. Soon, she will battle with the loutish Lars from school. Soon, she will find herself in another time. Can she stretch out under the same stars and save the children?
Why should I read it? A beautifully written book from the winner of the 2019 Bath Children’s Novel Awards. The story slips along slowly and almost seamlessly drags you through the two different time periods without you really noticing, like a ghost whispering sweet nothings on the cold winter air as it swirls around the frozen lake. With themes of family, friendship, loneliness, longing, Matt combines a historical struggle with a love of star gazing and time travel. The mum is a brilliantly modern mother, who backs Kara to the hilt. Lars, the antagonist, is someone you’ll hate, but has a complete character reversal as he goes through different experiences in the book. And, grandad, you’ll cry for him, as he leaves for his journey amongst the stars. I found with the short chapters and even shorter paragraphs, I zipped through the book. There was a good balance between description and conversation. I would have liked to have known more about the footsteps on the rooftops – were they other time travellers?
Kinkajousreadtoo 
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