Leave Taking

Winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature at the 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards

Leave taking noun the act of saying goodbye.

What if you had just one week left to say goodbye to everything you’ve ever known?

Toby and his mum and dad are leaving their family farm after the death of Toby’s younger sister, Leah. Together, they sort through all their belongings and put things aside to sell or throw out. It’s a big task, and Toby doesn’t want to leave the only place he’s called home.

As his last day on the farm approaches, Toby has a plan - a plan to say goodbye to all the things and places that mean something special to him and Leah, from the machinery shed to Pa’s old truck to the chook house. With the help of his best friend, Trigger the dog, he learns what it means to take your leave.