Off the Beaten Track

Description

Age range 9+ Paul is ten years old and lives with his aunt and uncle. Bruce, an old family friend, suddenly reappears after three years of silence, eager to keep a promise he made to Paul to take him on a three-day mountain trek. Paul longs for Bruce's friendship and wants badly to prove himself. But he is also timid and unsure, and Bruce - who is better at doing than explaining - doesn't make it any easier. A dramatic event gives Paul the chance to find his inner strength, and to show himself and everyone else what he is capable of.

Maylis de Kerangal is a French author and translator whose translated novel, Mend the Living, was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize and in 2017 won the Wellcome Book Prize. She lives in Paris, France. This is her debut book for children in English. Helen Mixter is an award-winning translator who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Tom Haugomat is a noted graphic artist who studied at the prestigious art school Gobelins, where he specialized in animation. His book about an astronaut, Through a Life, has been published in English, and it received a Special Mention in the BolognaRagazzi fiction prize. His illustrations appear in the New York Times, the New Yorker, Le Monde and the New Republic. He lives in Paris.

"Gentle, heartfelt ... [This book's] universal themes of family and separation are especially resonant as we cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic." -Booklist "[A] story about home, independence, and love ... brought to life with stunning watercolor illustrations." -Quill & Quire "Lovely artwork... A sentimental holiday story told by a parent as he learns to let go." -Kirkus Reviews "Quietly affecting....accessible....speaks gently to the inner thoughts of children tackling nature's challenges." -School Library Connection