My name is leon will capture your imagination and steal your heart with its moving exploration of race and the fostercare system that offers precious insight into. A short debut novel that i felt had a ya feel to it but i think it is a novel that will resonate with all age levels and readers. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. May 14, 2017 my name is leon was shortlisted for the 2016 costa first novel award and the desmond elliot prize. From the back cover leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called jake. The story is told from the perspective of leon, a nineyearold boy whose mother carol struggles to cope with being a single parent after having a new baby. As an aside, i really wanted to like this book as i managed to get hold of a signed first edition, and was surprised to discover that leon and i share a birthday, a hometown, and are both mixed race with a mother named carolit was surely a sign. The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of reading agency and library staff from across the uk. Find books like my name is leon from the worlds largest community of readers. Pdf my name is leon download full pdf book download. For example, on page 116 leon visits maureen in the hospital and notices that her mouth is smiling but her eyes are sad.
The story is beautifully told the writing flows nicely with lovely descriptions and observations. The mysterious disappearance of leon i mean noel wikipedia. Richly evoking a vision of britain in the early eighties, my name is leon is a story of love, the fierce bond between siblings and learning to overcome unbearable loss. My name is leon is a moving story of a childs desperate desire to keep his fractured family together in early 1980s britain. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
And trying to find a place in it all is young leon. Goodreads members who liked my name is leon also liked. Schools all right but you have to go nearly every day and miss sheldon wont let proper soccer balls in. The story starts with the birth of jake and the reader soon realises that his mother, carol, cant cope. Set during the race riots of the 1980s, my name is leon tells the story of leon, a halfblack nineyearold boy who struggles to make sense of his changing world. Truly, carol gahara harris inspires me to start sending my own childrens book off for publication. She really taps into the mindset of a young boy, caught between two worlds, who is smart and kind and emotionally savvy, but who is completely vulnerable to forces outside of his control. We have an exclusive extract available for you to read. Set during the race riots of the 1970s, my name is leon tells the story of leon, a halfblack nine yearold boy who struggles to make sense of his changing world. Sep 12, 2016 my name is leon is written in prose which emulates the language of a 9yearold and somehow navigates seamlessly between present and past tense. They have gone to live with maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like father christmas. Books similar to my name is leon meet your next favorite book.
Evoking a britain of the early eighties, my name is leon is a heartbreaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. My name is leon is a wonderful read and im delighted to be sharing the opening of the book with you today. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing. Leon loves his beautiful, goldenhaired baby brother, jake, and is determined to save him from any pain.
Leon is just 8 when his mom, carol, is taken by ambulance to the local psych ward. A vivid and uplifting story about the power of love, the unbreakable bond between brothers, and the truth about what makes a family. June 26, 2016 nineyearold leon, a mixedrace boy born in 1970s london to a depressed and drug. Jun 02, 2016 my name is leon is a story told by a nine year old boy called leon and while i am not a fan of child narrators the book was engaging and a worthwhile read. I heard about this book on simon mayos book club bbc radio 2 and was intrigued because it was written by a woman who was a magistrate in criminal and family law. Jake will play with no one but leon, and leon is determined to save him from any pain and earn that sparkling baby laugh every chance he can. My name is leona is a hearttouching story and an important one. My name is leon and my birthday is the fifth of july nineteen seventyone. It is extremely affecting toby lichtig i think my name is leon is a really stand out novel alex clark simply told and never overwritten emerald street top 10 books of the year a piercing story. Published by viking penguin, its release date is 2nd june 2016. Caroline fish carillon searches for her missing husband, leon.
Leon, like all children, both misunderstands situations and simultaneously seems to grasp the complexities of life better than the adults. And how just when we least expect it we somehow manage to find our way homemore. Hed been trying to care for jake, his newborn brother, himself, making the babys formula, changing his diaper, and attempting to rouse his mother from the drugaddled stupor shed been in for days or maybe weeks. Leonas quest of finally appreciating her unusual name won the hearts of this years moms choice awards judges, giving the. Nov 27, 2017 if youve read my name is leon, feel free to score it out of 5 using the star rating above. Leon is a 9 year old boy mixed race boy with an estranged black caribbean father and a mentally unstable white british mother called carol. Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called jake.
My name is leon is the heartbreaking tale of a little boy who doesnt understand the world. Have you ever read a book about a character that is very unlike you, yet the author has succeeded in making him so relatable that once youve seen the world through. My name is leon is one of those rare books that is able to hook you in from the very first page. They were married as children to solidify a business arrangement between their parents who had started a soup company.
Vowing to get jake back by any means necessary, leons own journey will carry him through the. Leona loves her name now after she talked to her dad, she didnt like it before. My name is leon is a vivid, gorgeous, and uplifting story about the power of love, the unbreakable bond between brothers, and the truth about what, in the end, ultimately makes a family. Have you ever read a book about a character that is very unlike you, yet the author has succeeded in making him so relatable that once youve seen the world through his eyes you will never look at it the same way again. The mysterious disappearance of leon i mean noel is a childrens mystery novel by ellen raskin, published in 1971. She really taps into the mindset of a young boy, caught between two worlds, who is smart and kind and emotionally savvy, but who is completely vulnerable to forces outside ofhis control. Part of what makes my name is leon so memorable is the child narrator.
But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing pretend faces. All i can say is that when i opened this book i saw the world one way and when i looked up after finishing the last page the world had a different hue. But leon isnt in control of this world where adults say one thing and mean another. Mum says hes coloured but dad says hes black but they. Nov 27, 2015 the book of unknown americans trailer great books final duration. Her debut novel my name is leon was an international bestseller, shortlisted for the costa first novel award, longlisted for the desmond elliott prize and won the kerry group irish novel of the year award for 2017. The story is set in the 1970s and is about a young black boys quest to reunite with his beloved white halfbrother after they are separated in foster care. This book was chosen by one of the girls in our work book club, recently transformed into a house party one. She and her brother owen have lived with their great grandmother, gram, at avocado acres trailer rancho in california for the last seven years. His mother carol has mentalhealth issues and is floundering under the weight of postnatal depression. My name is leon is written in prose which emulates the language of a 9yearold and somehow navigates seamlessly between present and past tense.
Its 1981 and leon s mother, carol gives birth to jake, leon s half brother. Kit was named the futurebook person of the year in 2019. Leons west indian father vanished years before, on the run from. But when their mother falls victim to her inner demons, strangers suddenly take jake away. My name is leon and my birthday is on the fifth of july, nineteen seventyone. Their arrangements may not be traditional, but the exquisite results prove that families can sprout in the most. This knowledge doesnt necessarily make for a good story, but in this case it does. I somehow missed out on reading it last year but im so glad that i finally got around to it since it was just as endearing and affecting as i had been told it would be. It has also been shortlisted for the 2017 kerry group novel of the year award, the winner of which will be named at the end of this month. My name is leon grows an entire garden of vibrant characters who, through shared experiences with societal racism, become the nurturing family leon needs. Evoking a britain of the early eighties, my name is leon is a story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. My name is leona moms choice award gold medal recipient.
Makes the perfect gift for kids ages 35, early learners, and preschool. Jul 26, 2016 leon loves his beautiful, goldenhaired baby brother, jake, and is determined to save him from any pain. After his mother suffers a mental breakdown, leon and his baby brother, jake, are sent into foster care. It is a novel that is well worth reading and one that tackles issues relevant to todays world. The story is a heartbreaking account of a fractured family falling apart and the impact this has on two young brothers. Vowing to get jake back by any means necessary, leon s own journey will carry him through the. My name is leon will capture your imagination and steal your heart with its moving exploration of race and the fostercare system that offers precious insight into the mind of a child forced to grow up well before his time booklist. Jan 15, 20 this book is such a charming read by a 1st time author.
Book summary naomi soledad leon outlaw has a lot of problems to deal with in her young life including the funniest last name in the universe. The dukes of hazzard is on tv and curly wurlys are in the shops. My name is leon will be released by penguin in paperback on 6th april 2017 and is available for purchase through the links here. And how just when we least expect it we manage to find our way home. If this book appeals then you might also enjoy the oneinamillion boy by monica wood. My name is leon was an absolutely fantastic book, im so sad that i have finished it because i truly fell in love with little leon. This helps explain the level of insight and authenticity evident in my name is leon, her moving and thoughtprovoking debut novel.
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