Cosima Unfortunate – known as Cos for short – has spent all her life at the Home for Unfortunate Girls – a school where any disabled children, or children deemed different, are sent, whether their families want it or not. It is there that she meets her friends – Pearl, Mary and Diya – and they start to practise mini heists involving the theft of cakes, biscuits and other sweet goodies.
But when Cos finds out that Lord Francis Fitzroy, the explorer behind the Empire Exhibition, is planning to adopt them, she and her friends plot the biggest heist of their life. Instead of fondant fancies, they’re going to steal Fitzroy’s prized tiara, containing the legendary Star Diamond of India! But, as they start preparing for the day, Cosima finds herself drawing ever closer to discovering the one secret she’s always wanted to know – the truth about her parents…
Laura Noakes is a disabled writer and historian from Bedfordshire, who’s crafted a fantastic historical fiction debut for children. Although we’re only in June, I think I can say this is my favourite middle-grade read of the year!
Set in 1899, Cos and her friends live at the Home for Unfortunate Girls – a home somewhat reminiscent of the workhouse in Dicken’s Oliver Twist. There, brother-sister duo Mr and Miss Stain run the home where they number, rather than name, the children and treat them terribly. Drowning in crippling debt, the Stains receive a dream offer they can’t refuse that also frees them from all twenty of the home’s children – it’s a win-win for them and a lose-lose for the girls. This prompts Cos, Pearl, Mary and Diya to pull off the heist of their life…
I don’t think I can rave about Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star enough. Cos is the most fantastic heroine – she’s feisty, a prankster, extremely determined, and most importantly, she’s resilient. In this, each girl’s individual qualities and talents truly shine, allowing them to plot and execute sneaking, sleuthing and stealing. I also want to mention Diya, who’s intelligent and full of quirky humour, and a brilliant inventor! There’s something in each of the girls that young readers can relate to.
Here, Noakes shines a light on how history has treated children with disabilities. She does this through the treatment of the girls and the labels of ‘defective’ and ‘unfortunate’ that society gives them. But in this, Noakes introduces a wide range of disabilities that are both visible and invisible, focusing on the strength of what these characters can do, despite the extra challenges they may have along the way.
There’s also an important focus on identity, with Cos on a quest to find hers. But on a deeper level, it’s about being seen for who you are and not how you’re labelled or perceived because of a disability.
Exciting, funny, moving and featuring joyous and authentic disabled representation, Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star is the perfect read for every child. We recommend it for young readers aged 8+.
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