Illustrations 1: When Shadows Fall                             

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WHEN SHADOWS FALL (Stripes)
​Author: Sita Brahmachari ,
Illustrator: Natalie Sirett
Yoto-Carnegie Medal shortlist 2023
The Times’ Best Books for Children 2021
Michael Rosen's Best Book for Young Adults 2021 

• The Scotsman's The Best Books for Teens "Sita Brahmachari tells the heart-breaking story of Kai. Following him from childhood through his teenage years, we see someone who is loved by family, friends and wild ravens, yet is unable to respond to offers of help as he plummets into a severe and lasting depression. Kai’s voice and the voices of his friends are all represented in the story, which is all the more powerful for showing his struggle from different perspectives. With verse and prose and powerful illustrations from Natalie Sirett, this is a completely absorbing book.
• “Natalie's illustrations aren't at all what I'd imagined but are so much better than I could have hoped.  They are perfectly in tune with Sita's writing, depicting such sensitive facial expressions and hugely revealing body language, showing inner turmoil, immense sadness, weariness and despair.  Simply beautiful.”" - Clare Fulton, The Scotsman
• “When Shadows Fall is an invitation to join a community at the heart of which is the tale of a young man gripped by tragedy and trauma. The book offers hope though mutual support and a focus in figuring out what really matters… I was moved and uplifted.” – Michael Rosen
• The Times’ Best Books for Children 2021“How quickly teenagers fall apart – and how fast they can heal. This is the hopeful message from Sita Brahmachari, a writer who mixes verse and prose to tell stories that stick.” – Alex O’Connell, The Times
• The Guardian's The best children’s and YA books of 2021"A moving, hard-hitting journey for teens through grief and acceptance, interwoven with powerful illustration and viscerally vivid verse." - Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian