What does home mean to you? In her introduction to this proof copy, E. L. Norry invites us to consider this question. For the boy and girl in RUNAWAYS, home isn’t safe or comforting. The adults in their lives are flawed and make mistakes that put them in enough danger to run away from home. Their journeys flow in and out of one another. As they run in the same direction, July and Jamie, who have never known each other before and have on the face of it nothing in common, encounter each other and become friends – or more accurately, something stronger than friends, companions in survival who can rely on each other to give them the safety the adults in their lives can’t. It all ends happily, which makes it a great story for children aged about 9 to 11 who are interested in contemporary issues but also need comfort in their stories. It’s out on July 3rd and is highly recommended by this reader! Buy here or here or your bookseller of choice.