How to Sail to Somewhere

The small seaside town of Willow is quiet most of the year, except in summer when tourists descend and the locals escape on their own holidays. Bea’s parents are too busy working to go away on holiday, but she doesn’t mind staying home, because she has her beloved Uncle Byron for company. Since she was small, he’s come every summer and turned her lonely home into a place of laughter and adventure. Before he left last year, he promised Bea that next summer, the two of them would sail together to a little star-shaped island off the coast – too small to be on any map, yet known to a select few as ‘Somewhere’.

But this year, Byron hasn’t come. Bea is alone, with nothing to do but ruminate on her last summer with Byron and the significance of his promise that they would go to Somewhere, together. When she discovers Arabella – another local girl adrift for the summer – knows about Somewhere, and is as keen to get there as Bea is, she starts to suspect that Byron might be able to keep his promise to sail to Somewhere with Bea, after all.

This is a sweet story about friendship, family and grief. Earnest and emotional, with a touch of a Famous Five adventure, it tackles big issues in a thoughtful and engaging way. For ages 8+.