Tosh’s upbringing feels close to perfect: best friends, mischief and secondary school, just around the next corner. But when chronic illness strikes, it threatens to derail everything she loves.
A heart-rending graphic novel of discovery, adversity, and the overwhelming healing powers of imagination and stories.
Based on real-life experiences, Tosh’s Island is a stunning graphic novel for Y6 or Y7, exploring identity, escapism and change.
Already dealing with shifting friendships and the big move to secondary school, Tosh’s world is turned upside down by the onset of a serious illness. To cope with the pain and confusion of her diagnosis, Tosh connects with a penpal, and together they create a beautiful, imaginary undersea fantasy world that becomes a space for escape and empowerment.
Leo Marcel’s vibrant artwork beautifully contrasts the harshness of medical appointments with stunning, double-page fantasy sequences. At times, Tosh’s water therapy sessions, which help with pain management, mirror the fantasy undersea scenes she uses as escapism. Tackling heavy themes like empathy, medical differences and the complexities of growing up, this poignant and deeply inspiring story is a superb choice of graphic novel for Upper Key Stage 2 or secondary school libraries.
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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
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