Stone Cold

Stone Cold was originally published in 1993 and is a teen story of hope, friendship and homelessness. The key protagonist is Link, homeless at age 16 and alone on the streets. He meets another youngster, Ginger, who provides much-needed friendship and support, but who then goes missing. Link tries to find out what happened to him.

It is most definitely a young adult book, best suitable for readers aged 13 and above, due to some graphic written descriptions and language use. However it is an extremely powerful portrayal of young people having to live on the streets when they become homeless, and the issues and dangers they face. The author, Robert Swindells, originally wrote it in response to seeing so many youngsters homeless on visits to London and hoped that it might provoke a public (and government) response to alter their perceptions of homelessness, which is rarely a matter of choice. With little having changed for the better since then for homeless teens, this is just as important a read now as it was when first published.

Powerful and thought-provoking, encouraging readers to think for themselves about what it is to be human and how to care about others.