David Almond - Savage (Walker Books Ltd)

This is a uniquely presented, touching tale of grief, solace and hope from a master of contemporary storytelling and a visionary artist. Imagine you wrote a story and that story came true. This is exactly what happens to Blue Baker when he writes about a savage living alone in the woods near his home. After his dad's death, Blue finds comfort in dreaming of a wild kid who survives on a diet of berries and the occasional hapless passerby. But when the savage pays a night-time visit to the local bully, boundaries become blurred and Blue begins to wonder where he ends and the savage begins. Part novel, part graphic novel, this moving story features striking art from the award-winning Dave McKean. This is Carnegie, Whitbread and Smarties award-winner David Almond's second novel for Walker Books - after "My Dad's a Birdman" (9781406304862).