Book Club: The Hunt for the Nightingale
Unearth the healing power of nature in one boy's heartbreaking and hopeful journey back from the wilderness We’re delighted to bring you this deeply moving and beautifully illustrated book to enjoy.
Everything you need for your book club
The Hunt for the Nightingale
- Written by Sarah Ann Juckes
- Illustrated by Sharon King-Chai
- Published by Simon & Schuster
Discover the healing power of nature in one boy’s heartbreaking and hopeful journey back from the wilderness.
Bird fact no. 30: a nightingale song is one of the most beautiful sounds on the planet.
Ten-year-old Jasper has been waiting all spring for his beloved nightingale to return to his garden and sing. But it’s not there, and neither is his sister, Rosie. His parents seem sad and preoccupied, so gathering his courage, his backpack and his treasured Book of Birds, Jasper sets out alone on a walk to find them both. The expedition takes Jasper through town and country, meeting a host of characters who are also searching for lost things. Helping his new friends, Jasper begins to see that he may not find what he is looking for when he reaches the journey’s end, but even in the darkest of moments, a nightingale’s song can be heard somewhere.
A love letter to the natural world, Sarah Ann Juckes’ stunning middle grade novel will leave you with tears in your eyes and a heart full of hope. For fans of Pax, Wonder and Wild Child.
About Sarah Ann Juckes
Sarah Ann Juckes writes books for young people. Her YA debut Outside (Penguin) was nominated for the Carnegie Medal Award 2020, shortlisted for Mslexia’s Children’s Novel Award, and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award. Her second YA novel, The World Between Us was published in March 2021, and The Hunt for the Nightingale is her first Middle Grade Novel. She works with writers from all over the world via Jericho Writers and is on the board for Creative Future – a charity supporting under-represented writers. You can often find her hibernating in her writing shed in East Sussex, with her cat.
About Sharon King-Chai
Sharon King-Chai is an award-winning designer and illustrator.
Born in Australia to Chinese-Malaysian parents, she moved to London in 2003, after studying Visual Communication. She fell in love with storytelling through music and books- and found her niche working as a designer in music and publishing industries. This eventually led to her creating her own books.
Sharon has a great passion for experimenting and innovation, and loves exploring format, narrative and new characters. She also loves using unusual materials, and references nature a lot in her artwork. Ingredients often include potatoes, blackberries, onions, feathers and sticks.
Snack recipe: Oat and date snack balls
Inspired by Jasper’s family’s Seedy Nut Bars, this month’s snack is a no-cook-ball that you can add all your favourite nuts and seeds to if you like.
Oat and Date Snack Balls
You will need:
- A large bowl
- A kettle or pan of boiling water
- A potato masher
- A spoon
- A fridge
Ingredients:
- 20 dates
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder – or if you prefer cinnamon or other spices
- 192 grams oats
- 60 grams of your favourite nuts, seeds etc.
Method:
- Soak the dates for 10 minutes in just boiled water
- Put all the other ingredients in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the water the dates have been soaking in. Drain the rest of the water from the dates. Mash the dates using a fork or potato masher– you want them to turn into a paste. Once mashed stir in the other ingredients until everything is evenly mixed.
- Put the mixture into the fridge for 1 hour.
- Once the mix has chilled use a spoon to collect even sized pieces of mixture and roll them into balls and they are ready to eat.
If you were inspired to offer the birds a snack too the RSPB has a fantastic pine cone bird feeder activity you can try.
