A powerful tool in helping children and young teens think through important issues is well-written fiction. In this, her second novel, Helen Parker brings her rich professional expertise to bear on the problem of bullying. An experienced teacher, she is well placed to comment on the kinds of abuse that children and young people can encounter from their peers both inside and outside the classroom. Having worked in Egypt, she also has first-hand insights into the Middle Eastern culture of young refugee protagonists, Nabeela and Mouneer, as they form friendships with the central character, Chris, and learn to adapt to their new culture.
When the book opens, Chris Miller, who featured in Helen’s previous YA novel, Hide and Secret, has just settled into an Edinburgh secondary school when his family unexpectantly moves to a remote Scottish island – Sunnaig. Forced to leave all he knows behind, even rumours of hidden treasure that thrill his half-sister can’t help. But when they encounter two child refugees on a Sunnaig beach, and a bullying youth determined to be mean, life-changing events unfold. Chris is a good swimmer, but is he strong enough to save himself and others from drowning? And what role will their eccentric new neighbour have to play?
Through the story, the young protagonists learn how they can deal with bullying and even grow in confidence through the experience, painful though it may be. Helen comments….
Island Treasure is a thrilling standalone novel that introduces readers to many important themes, not least bullying, with the challenges of moving school, the experience of integrating as a refugee and the modern reality of blended and mixed-race families all gently addressed.