The Boy with the Butterfly Mind (Kelpies) - Hardcover

Victoria Williamson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1782506004 ISBN 13: 9781782506003

Publisher: Kelpies, 2019

Synopsis

Jamie Lee just wants to be normal but his ADHD isn't making it easy. If only he could control his butterfly mind then he'd have friends, be able to keep out of trouble, live with his mum and not be sent to stay with his dad. Elin Watts just wants to be perfect. If she could be the best student and daughter possible, then maybe her dad would leave his new family and come back to Glasgow to live with Elin and her mum, happily ever after. When Jamie and Elin's families blend, the polar opposites of chaotic Jamie and ordered Elin collide. As their lives spiral out of control, Jamie and Elin discover that they're actually more alike than they'd admit. Maybe there's no such thing as normal, or perfect. And perhaps, just like families, happy-ever-afters come in all shapes and sizes. Uplifting and moving, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind is an inspiring story of acceptance, blended families, and discovering that in the end, being yourself is more than enough.

About this title

Review:

'Although Elin and Jamie are vastly different, the author deftly shows the trauma of divorce on children... Achingly realistic, yet hopeful.'
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

'My heart broke and soared by turns in this inspiring story of two kids who seem to have nothing in common but a desperate desire for their family to be whole.'
- Shari Green, author of ALA Schneider Award-winner Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

What a masterclass in empathy. This book gave me such a terrific insight into how ADHD affects a young boy and those around him. It is a great reminder that we shouldn't automatically judge others. I was rooting for Jamie and Elin!'
- Lisa Thomson, author of Ostrich Boy

'Moving. Powerful. Relevant. Contemporary storytelling at its very best. Another triumph from Victoria Williamson tackling important issues relevant to kids in a powerful and moving way.'
- Juliette Forrest, author of Twister

'Truly sensational. Told through two voices & suffused with real heart; empathy & emotionally-invested storytelling at its best that has so much to teach todays children. My heart genuinely aches. A must, must, must read.'
- Scott Evans, The Reader Teacher blog

'Fantastic to have a book about ADHD and by such a sensitive writer. So helpful for empathy, understanding and identity. Everyone needs to see themselves in books.'
- Chloe Daykin, author of Fish Boy

Praise for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

'Williamson allows readers to quickly relate to both white Glaswegian Caylin and Syrian-immigrant Reema, seeing in them reflections of the many problems children face around the world today. Her writing is culturally sensitive [...] With her two characters, Williamson movingly makes it clear that working-class solidarity traverses borders, race, ethnicity, and religion.'
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

'An inherently entertaining and compelling read from first page to last, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to elementary school and community library General Fiction collections for young readers ages 10 to 12.'
- Midwest Book Review

'This story is a delightfully nuanced, diverse, thoughtful and even fun/cute story of friendship and learning to be a good person. The ending works with the rest of the feel-good story. Really great for anyone who loves a great story of friendship.'
- Youth Services Book Review, starred review

'Relevant, moving and quite extraordinary.'
- Lucy Coates, author of the Beasts of Olympus series

'A really nice story of friendship, belonging, freedom, and hope. Very well done.'
- Reading by the Pond

'Difficult themes (war, death, bigotry, alcoholism, bullying) are treated honestly, in a manner appropriate for the target age (10-12). It's a moving story told in alternating perspectives.'
- Monika Durbin, Edelweiss

'I was really impressed with this novel and taken on quite an emotional ride throughout the course of it. [This] is a story of friendship and of the healing that it can bring and it is definitely one worth reading.'
- NetGalley Reviewer

About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is a primary school teacher with a Master's degree in special needs education. Her first novel, the USBBY-honoured The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is included in the 2019 Read for Empathy collection and has been longlisted for the Branford Boase Award.

About this edition

• Publisher: Kelpies
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1782506004
• ISBN 13: 9781782506003
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264