The Final Year
£7.49£8.99 (-17%)
See that tall, skinny kid with the ball in his hand
sayin see ya later to his mate?
That’s me:
Nathan Wilder
Nate.
10 years old
and a week away from the end of Year 5.
Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS is at his side – they’ve been inseparable since Nursery.
But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, Nate’s world turns upside-down. As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he’s dealt another blow when his youngest brother, Dylan is rushed into hospital.
His new teacher, Mr Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that’s lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to process what’s going on. But with so much working against him, and anger rising inside him, will this be enough?
A powerful and lyrical story about finding your place in the world and the people that matter within it.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Otter-Barry Books Limited (7 Sept. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 288 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1915659043 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1915659040 |
| Reading age | 10 – 11 years, from customers |
| Dimensions | 14.3 x 19.8 x 2.3 cm |
by D. Winstanley
Every now and then a book comes along that you know is going to make a big impact, and this is one of them. So moving, so powerful.
by Adrian Thompson
Matt has put his heart and sole into writing this book.
This book takes the experiences and the voice of a 9 or 10 year old child and forces you to live those formative years in a very real and very raw way.
In his books of poetry there are always poems that give hints to a childhood that wasn’t all sunshine and light.
This book does that and then some. An absolute rollercoaster of emotions await.
As I read this to my year 6 class it is currently opening some children’s eyes to the existence of the Nate’s of this world, whilst letting the Nate’s of the class feel seen and recognised.
I can see this book finding a place in the majority of year 6 classrooms up and down the UK.
This will capture the reluctant reader and the avid reader alike.
Buy it now.
Thank Matt Goodfellow later.
by Miss S Gardner
I bought this for my Year 6 class but have just nearly read it all in one sitting. What an incredible book! I completely love the way it’s written as poems. I love how well he builds the characters- I instantly felt like I knew the main character. There is so much to be discussed. My class will love this!
by Cosynookcook
This is an extraordinary book – written in free verse, it’s plotted like a novel, but was obviously written by a poet. In Matt’s hands, the story of Nate, his friends, family and school are involving, real (there are three pages around the middle of the book which will tear your heart out), and beautifully written. Everyone who’s ever worked in a school has met children like Nate and teachers like Mr Joshua. The descriptions of the residential trip and SATS preparation ring totally true. It’s brilliant. A must-read for Year 6 pupils, and a great book to introduce all kinds of themes – young carers, bullying, friendship, grief, redemption, writing, art – and Skellig. Did I mention it’s brilliant? If you have a child in your life aged around 10-11 (especially boys – there don’t seem to be any girls in Nate’s class), and due to go to secondary school, buy it for them, then read it yourself. You won’t regret it.
by D. Winstanley
Great story of one boy’s year six experience told through verse. Deals with many issues that he has to deal with. Really enjoyed it once I got used to the way it was written in verse using dialect/ slang.
by Yates
Wow.. a beautiful book. Read in a couple of hours, the story resonates as a primary school teacher in year 5. I love how it’s written in poems. The feelings it can convey in such short verse are huge.
A must read for those in education it gives an insight into the thoughts and mental health of a year 5 dealing with such huge time’s of transition and uncertainty at home. The difference a teacher can make can often get lost or forgotten in the paperwork and regulations of inspections this book is a reminder that the small things you do make such a large impact.
Be prepared for a few tears along the way x
by Miss S Gardner
I purchased this as a past primary teacher who has moved to secondary. Oh my goodness. This book hit me as a primary teacher , secondary teacher and parent. The prose is outstanding and pulls the reader in fron the heart strings to the boots strings. A must for every child above 11 and every adult who has been 11. Outstanding.
by BardyMum
Matt Goodfellow is known for his CLIPPA-shortlisted collections of poetry for children and young people, and this, his first verse novel, has caused a lot of buzz. Taking place during ‘the final year’ of primary school for Nate, and set in a working-class area of Manchester, we see him deal with friendship issues, a semi-neglectful home life, his own anger issues and then a seriously ill sibling. He is helped somewhat by his supportive new teacher, who introduces him to ‘Skellig’ by David Almond and the idea of dealing with his emotions through poetry, but Nate has to manage a lot by himself. There are a lot of Nates out there, and as an ex-teacher, Matt Goodfellow has written a beautiful and moving story featuring a character he obviously knows well.