Description
Thirteen-year-old Neil MacLeod feels like a fish out of water. He's trying to adjust to his new life in Ottawa, but it's half a continent away from his friends in Vancouver, not to mention a whole lot colder. Even worse, his mother still refuses to tell him the truth about the father he's never met.
After being forced into an awkward visit with a grandmother he never knew existed, Neil stumbles across a clue to his father's identity, and beins to unravel the mystery with some help from his new friend Courtenay. When he uncovers a shocking secret, and the truth about his unconventional family sinks in, Neil decides to run away, all the way to his grandfather's horse farm in New Brunswick.
A sensitive and moving story about growing up, The Disappearing Boy teaches us that every family is different, and love is never as simple as it seems on the surface.
Contributor Notes
Sonia Tilson was born in Swansea, South Wales, and educated at Monmouth School for Girls and Swansea University. She married and immigrated to Canada in 1964 and has lived mostly in Ottawa, teaching English at up to university level. Her first book, The Monkey Puzzle , was published by Biblioasis in 2013, and was nominated for the Metcalf-Rooke Award in 2012 and for the Ottawa Book Award in 2014.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 13
- Grade:
- 4 to 8
Awards
- Winner, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Spring
Editorial Reviews
With a parent's guidance, this thoughtful book can serve as a powerful introduction to transgender issues or a new entry point in an ongoing conversation.
— Quill and Quire (Toronto, ON)
The Disappearing Boy enables the readers to realize that all families are unique, that there is no "mold" a family must adhere to.
— Resource Links (Pouch Cove, NF)
