The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keeley

The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keeley
Buy The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keeley at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Jill Murphy
Summary: Hooray! Rob Keeley returns to short stories for middle graders! This collection has something for everyone and concentrates on friendships and school settings. The stories are playful and engaging but always rooted in the real world of children's lives. We loved them.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 159	Date: February 2023
Publisher: Matador
ISBN: B0BVW69N1G
Share on: and

Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a return to the short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, each as fun to read as his previous offerings.

•Ellis is annoying Isla... but suddenly he isn’t there... •Oscar’s written what he thinks about everyone... and left the paper in a library book... •Fletcher becomes a hero to Suzie... •Tessa takes action when her school bans hugging... •Holly Class wind up Pine Class on Transition Day... •Paul really doesn’t want to go to big school... •Myra hates her new school... until she meets Shane... •And more...

Several of the stories in this collection have a theme of change or moving on in some way and I particularly enjoyed two which talk about the move from primary to secondary school. The very first story, The Boy Who Disappeared, charts Isla's frustrations with prankster Ellis which come to a head just as covid hits and school is suspended. Sometimes, you know, a pencil sharpener is more than just a pencil sharpener. And I loved Last Day in which Justin has to find a way to tell Liam that he won't be joining him at Sansford High because his family is moving away. It's a delicate look at friendships between boys and the wish not to appear vulnerable. Fans of Rob will already know Liam and Justin.

Guess What?, which was shortlisted for Best Short Story 2022 at the Searchlight Writing for Children Awards, is about how rumours spread and is genuinely hilariously funny. Yes, kids, your mums and dads do it too! It seems that we just can't help ourselves; we all love a good story, even if it isn't strictly true.

I'll leave you to discover the rest for yourselves.

Rob Keeley has a wonderful grasp of the world as inhabited by children and a great knack of presenting realistic settings in a humorous way. His stories are playful and engaging and full of a positive outlook, but they are always authentic. And they will always make you smile. It's wonderful to see him back in this format. We need more writers offering short stories to children. Not only are they fun to read but they're also inspirational for children's own creativity. You can read Rob's stories, immediately recognise them, talk about them, and maybe write one of your own. Knowing Rob, he would love that! Recommended.

If you're looking for more short stories for children, you could try Singing for Mrs Pettigrew by Michael Morpurgo - wise and inspirational.tales.And don't forget Rob's earlier collections such as The (Fairly) Magic Show and The Alien in the Garage.

Please share on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

You can read more book reviews or buy The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keeley at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keeley at Amazon.com.

You can read more about Rob Keeley here.

Comments

Like to comment on this review?

Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.