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Sweep
Author:
Jonathan Auxier
Illustrator:
N/A
Published by:
Amulet Paperbacks
First Published:
5 May 2020
Ideal for readers aged
9-12y
My Review
Everyone I have told about 'Sweep' has loved it. It's unusual. It's strange. It celebrates friendship and, ultimately, sacrifice (C.S. Lewis always said that they best stories do.....). Jonathan Auxier is an incredible writer. I couldn't put it down and I would read it again.
Heads Up!
The scene where Nan gets stuck in the chimney above a fire is harrowing - but an accurate depiction of the dangers faced many child chimney sweeps in the Victorian era. The ending to this book is sweet and powerful but sad.
My son also absolutely loves 'Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes', also by Jonathan Auxier.
Publisher Review
Nan Sparrow is one of London’s countless “climbers”―children who spend their days cleaning chimneys. The work is brutal and dangerous. Thanks to her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. But when she gets stuck in a chimney fire, it seems the end has come. Instead, she awakens to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature―a golem―made from soot and ash. Together, these two outcasts carve out a new life―saving each other in the process. Lyrically told by one of today’s most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder.
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