AUTHOR Sue Palmer will visit Wokingham Book Festival in October.
She’ll talk about strange rockpool inhabitants, ingenious survival tactics, extraordinary shells, and her new book.
The Shell Secret is her new publication for children that combines a vivid Cornish setting with themes of friendship, loss, and courage.
It also explores the healing powers of friendship, family and the coast.
As a child, Sue spent unforgettable summers with her family, exploring Cornish beaches, caves, and rockpools.
The ever-changing face of the sea, a sense of freedom and adventure and the evocative stories told by her grandpa, inspired a deep love for the coast, which forms the backdrop of her new mystery novel.
The story follows eleven-year-old want-to-be detective Alice Clark, whose visits to the coastal town of Trevellen used to mean collecting shells with her sister, Poppy.
But this summer is different.
A year after Poppy’s death, Alice returns to the beach alone, determined to build a memorial of shells in her sister’s honour.
Desperate to keep Poppy’s memory alive, Alice faces a difficult situation when her parents forbid her from visiting the beach alone.
Reluctantly, Alice strikes a deal with Jasper – an annoying boy who has just moved in next door.
What starts as an uneasy alliance quickly turns into a deeper, more complicated friendship.
In her book, Sue explores the complexity of grief and the ways in which it affects children, and the protective instincts of parents when dealing with loss.
Sue said: “Losing someone close is an overwhelming experience for children, and I wanted to reflect the pain and confusion that they can often feel in these circumstances.
“I aimed to help young readers navigate their feelings of loss while discovering that, even in the darkest times, there is hope.”
Sue’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her books.
Her workshop, Secrets of the Shore, supports curriculum study of living things, their habitats, and ecosystems through creativity and storytelling.
Sue will speak at Wokingham Library and sign copies of her book, on Sunday, October 19, at 1.30pm.
The in-person event is suitable for ages seven to 12 (younger siblings welcome) and will last around 45 minutes.
Children will be able to take part in a coastline quiz, or make a beach creature at her craft table.
Exclusive signed preview copies of The Shell Secret will also be available.
Tickets cost £3, and under 12s must be accompanied by a valid ticket-holiding adult.
To book a place, visit: ticketsource.co.uk and search for Sue Palmer, and for more information, visit: sypalmer.com
The Shell Secret is available from bookshops nationally.
