What’s the book about?
When I listen to music it speaks to me, fills up my soul until I’m bursting with the rainbow-sprinkled, breathless, blush-red joy of being ALIVE.
Meet Thunderhead: awkward, music-obsessed and a magnet for bad luck. Their favourite things in life are listening to records and hanging out with their best (and only) friend Moonflower. But Thunderhead has a big secret. And when Moonflower moves schools, they’re faced with the reality of surviving the wilderness of high school alone. Make new friends? NOTHANKYOUVERYMUCH. As two big life events approach, Thunderhead posts playlists and heartfelt diary entries as an outlet to try to make sense of their changing world, to try to calm the storm brewing in their brain and to try to find the courage to unfurl their heart.
Recommended for:
Ages 10+.
Three reasons to read it:
- Beer isn’t just telling a story; she’s diving deep into themes that resonate on a universal scale. From the intricacies of human connection to the exploration of personal growth, Thunderhead serves up a buffet of thought-provoking ideas. It’s like a literary scavenger hunt where each page uncovers a new layer of insight, making you ponder and reflect long after you’ve closed the book.
- By integrating illustrations so seamlessly, Thunderhead offers a reading experience that stands out from the crowd. It’s not just a book you read; it’s a book you experience. The artwork often mirrors or amplifies the story’s themes, adding layers of meaning that might be missed with text alone.
- One of the highlights of Beer’s character development is her ability to infuse humour into the story. Each character’s quirks often lead to funny, unexpected situations that drive the plot forward. Their unique habits, perspectives, and interactions create a delightful sense of unpredictability. It’s like watching a well-loved sitcom where the characters’ idiosyncrasies and humorous escapades keep you eagerly turning pages, just to see what happens next.
Buy a copy of Thunderhead here.
About the author:
Sophie Beer is an award-winning author/illustrator living in Brisbane. She rejoices in creating bright, funny books that centre equality, inclusion and kindness. Her books including Love Makes a Family have been printed all over the world in many languages and have sold close to one million copies. As an illustrator, she has worked with the likes of Disney, Google, The Guardian and The Boston Globe. As a writer, her work has appeared in Frankie Magazine and The Big Issue. When she’s not illustrating and writing, she thinks a lot about plants, animals, music, books, equality and Aldi choc-chip biscuits. In 2016, Sophie was diagnosed with and underwent surgery for an acoustic neuroma, a brain tumour that affects balance, the facial nerve and hearing, and she is subsequently hard of hearing. Thunderhead, her first novel, was inspired by this transformative event.
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