Trash

By Author / Illustrator

Andy Mulligan

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Penguin Random House Children's UK

ISBN

9780385619011

Format

Hardback

Published

02-09-2010

Synopsis

Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It's a bag of clues. It's a bag of hope. It's a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man's mission to put right a terrible wrong. It's three street-boys against the world...

Reviews

The jacket blurb boasts this book will change [the readers] life. My fellow teacher and and I, with a combined sixty years of reading adolescent lit., rolled our eyes. But read I did and put the book down before the end I did not. I believe (just about) the blurb is true for my students and think for myself the cover image appropo but strong Year 9 male readers are hesitant. Too close to 'picture books' profiling? A trustier Year 10 fellow took a chance and came back singing praises, so now Trash is flying off the shelf. Empowering plot, terrific telling, valuable economic education - this timely novel is very well done. Reflections from a secondary school librarian