Patrice Lawrence - People Like Stars

12-year-old Ayrton and his mum have recently moved back to the area they lived in when he was a baby – the area they fled after a local woman stole him away from Mum when she was out shopping, thankfully returning him after only a short time had passed.

Mum is suffocatingly over-protective of Ayrton, who just wants to be a normal boy. At his new school, he discovers that his new friend Stanley is linked to him in an astonishing way: Stanley's grandma was the woman who took Ayrton while his mum's back was turned. She became estranged from her own family because of her actions and
Stanley has never known her.

Together the boys decide to track down the grandma – now a famous artist with the Banksy-style pseudonym Vixen – but will Ayrton's mother can get answers to the questions that torment her, and will Ayrton be able to live a more free life?

Patrice Lawrence was born in Brighton and brought up in an Italian and Trinidadian household. Her debut novel, Orangeboy, earned widespread recognition, being shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and winning both the Bookseller YA Prize and Waterstone’s Prize for Older Children's Fiction. Her second YA novel, Indigo Donut, claimed the Crimefest YA Prize.

Both works have also been nominated for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. With over 20 years of experience working in
charities advocating for equality and social justice, these themes resonate deeply in her storytelling. Currently, Patrice
serves as the BookTrust Writer in Residence.

This free 1 hour reading/workshop at Bude Library is perfect for 8-12yr olds and their adults. Home educated children are especially welcome.