Sarah Ann Juckes Books

Eddie is the best big brother: he is supportive, understanding and patient. He needs to be these things for his whole family as his little sister Scarlett is poorly. She has been poorly for a long time and now needs a new heart. Eddie is dropped off at Uncle John’s house, which is at the edge of the forest, and has to pretend that everything is ok. His uncle takes him into the forest and introduces him to the great trees. Eddie starts to spend more time in the forest and finds himself befriending a little robin and a girl called Mari. She is fierce, dressed in odd clothes and fuzzy around the edges – almost ghostly. They start to hunt a monster, but soon realise the monster is closer than Eddie thought. Robin, is a story of courage and the importance of finding your voice even if it feels wrong. The main character starts to become bolder as he explores his wintery landscape and finally finds his voice to make sure that he is heard and not forgotten. The story is very powerful and explores themes of illness within a family and the effect it has. It shares an important message through great imagery which is then coupled with the beautiful illustrations, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and its message. It was the perfect time of year to read it too.