Quercus Children’s Books ISBN 9781784294212 £6.99
We Are Giants is a gripping story about a girl whose father has died and whose mother has dwarfism. It is equally a book about growing up, family, moving house and so many other experiences which children in upper KS2/lower KS3 will find utterly relevant. Amber Lee Dodd set out to write a book which gave an honest representation of families living with disabilities, and she has done just that. Sydney, the 9 year-old protagonist, takes the reader on the emotional rollercoaster which nearly all her peers will experience: she craves love, warmth, the comfort of her earlier childhood and an idealised past, whilst also wanting to be treated as the older child she is; she loves her family but is nonetheless frustrated by them; she rejects those who love her but learns from her mistakes. Perhaps this book’s greatest power lies in just how relatable it is: for children with little or no experience of disabilities it can be difficult to empathise with those who are disabled, or have close family with disabilities. We Are Giants gives children an opportunity to realise that these issues are not as distanced from them as they may have thought, and indeed, are only issues if society chooses to view them as such. Here is an exciting new novel by an author to watch out for.
Rachel Cordon, Key Stage 2 Teacher
