After School Crime Club by Hayley Webster

Recommended by: Sam Bateman/@slbsamantha

Author: Hayley Webster

Form and genre: Fiction

Length: 134 pages

Brief synopsis:

Willow is struggling socially & academically. Her mum is struggling too – since Dad left them & grandma (the lynchpin who held them all together) has died. Willow has no one who sees & values her for who she is anymore.

After school homework club is thrust on Willow.

Here she meets other misfits & hopes to be accepted by them in order to win over cool kid ‘Tay.’

But can Willow earn Tay’s respect by agreeing and partaking in ‘dares’ that are increasingly risky & ‘criminal.’ What will be the cost if she goes along?

Age recommendation: Y6+

Notable reasons for recommending: Covers lots of important themes such as:

Respect – self-respect above all
Honesty
Family – separation, depression
Friendships
Acceptance
Bereavement

Content Warnings

Willow steals things from family members, shops & teachers.

Mum isn’t mentally strong – depressed since their partner left the family home. Masks her difficulties in front of her boyfriend.

Grandma has died – bereavement

 

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