Thrilled to be part of the tour with all these fabulous book bloggers for this empathetic and dramatic Middle grade adventure @StrangelyMagic @NeemTreePress @The_WriteReads @WriteReadsTours.
ACROSTIC
Nurturer
Ornithologist
Rescuer
Animal Carer
Animal Rescuer
Determined
A Keeper of Secrets
Morose
BOOK BITE
A warm hearted, empathetic and thought provoking read looking at universal issues.
BOOK HAIKU
Norah and Adam
United in one mission
Saving animals.
Together they are
braver facing challenges
as their lives collide.
As they try to be stronger
Can they hold on much longer?
BLURB
Different lives. One mission. Danger threatens.
Eleven-year-old Norah has a difficult life. When she has a chance meeting with Adam she is envious of his lifestyle. But his life isn’t perfect. He’s hiding from his past and worrying about his future.
When a shared secret bonds them, Norah and Adam realise they’re not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam discover who he wants to be? Can Adam help Norah solve her problems?
BOOK TASTERS
Dad says I was grown in a test tube in some space-age science lab just like in that film we saw years ago, but I don’t know if I believe him or not.”
Not everyone has legs the length of double decker buses and can Stand Up and Stand Out in their expensive clothes!”
If my mother knew I was out in the garden on my own, she’d go crazy.”
She keeps getting me to agree with her, and each time I nod, it’s like I’m letting go of another piece of myself.”
Extracts from Norah’s Ark
BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT
Norah’s Ark is an emotionally complex novel and really hits home whilst still managing to make you feel joy and delight at the same time.
https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com/2023/08/21/norahs-ark-by-victoria-williamson-blog-tour/
Books are a window or a mirror for the reader. Or, in the case of this book, with so many different elements, it can be both.
https://bethsbookcase.org/
My thoughts: this was a sweet and somewhat heart breaking book about friendship, what constitutes a home and family.
https://ramblingmads.uk/2023/08/25/blog-tour-norahs-ark-victoria-williamson/
I absolutely adore both Norah and Adam and it was fascinating watching this story unfold from their eyes. They have both dealt with far more than such young children should have to face and like that it really informs how they react to problems. It makes them such nuanced, interesting characters which, in turn, makes it easy to love them.
https://kerrimcbooknerd.home.blog/2023/08/26/blog-tour-norahs-ark-by-victoria-williamson/
GOOD NIGHT TO READ MINI REVIEW
Victoria Williamson has an aptitude for giving her characters the ability to transcend from the page into the hearts and minds of her readers. It is a gift which was evident in ‘The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle’ where two girls from very different backgrounds bonded over a shared secret and started to heal each other. It’s writing like this that teaches young people to be kind, compassionate and empathetic, to learn from their mistakes and to listen to each other.
A quote often attributed to Narnia author C.S Lewis, is that “we read to know that we are not alone” and Victoria’s dual viewpoints in Norah’s Ark let children facing the poverty trap, the climate crisis and other issues know that they are not alone. Norah and Adam’s passion for caring for living creatures leads them to a greater understanding of each other, moving away from the misconceptions of their first meeting and healing themselves in the process.
This is a special book not to be missed. It will appeal to young people who are concerned about the planet, animal welfare and the cost of living crisis. It is a book to be recommended and shared.
It is also an adventure story where there are heart in the mouth moments of peril and one in which the characters, including the adults, learn of the danger of secrets and lies and that no matter how hard the struggle, help is available from those who care.
GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 4 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES
FIVE FACTS ABOUT VICTORIA WILLIAMSON
“I started writing adventure stories at an early age, with plots and characters mostly stolen from my favourite novels and TV shows! These days my stories are all my own, featuring the voices of some of the many children I’ve met over the years on my real-life adventures around the world.”
- Victoria specialises in writing inclusive novels that reflect real situations being faced in the current climate
- She is a primary school teacher from Scotland who has worked in Cameroon, Malawi and China.
- Victoria volunteered with The Book Bus charity in Zambia
- She visits festivals, schools and library events to talk to children and educators about the important issues she raises in her books.
- Victoria grew up in Kirkintilloch, North Glasgow
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Title: Norah’s Ark
- Author: Victoria Williamson
- Publisher: Neem Tree Press
- Publication date: August 29th 2023
- Length: 304 pp
- Genre: Contemporary Reality/Talking Points/Eco Fiction
- Age group: Middle Grade
DISCOVER MORE
BEYOND THE BOOK
Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.
Her last novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.
Explore her website for lessons inspired by Norah’s Ark.
Good Night To Read- A School Librarian's Book Blog 
I enjoyed your acrostic and haiku. Well done. What a creative way to express your feelings on the book. 🙂
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Thank you.
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