Debut children’s author, Jess Butterworth from Frome, had her first book, ‘Running on the Roof of the World’ published this month, which has attracted attention from fellow children’s authors and devotees of young adult fiction.
12-year-old Tash has to follow many rules to survive in Tibet. Rule number one: Don’t run in front of a soldier. Rule number two: Never look at a soldier. Rule number three: Say as little as possible.
But when her parents are seized by soldiers, she and her best friend Sam must break the rules and complete an unlikely mission: by escaping Tibet and seeking help from the Dalai Lama in India. And so their extraordinary journey across the Himalayas begins.
Running on the Roof of the World is described as both warm and accessible with a political edge that will encourage young readers to reflect on the world we live in.
Jess Butterworth spent her childhood between the UK and India and grew up hearing stories about the Himalayas from her grandmother. As part of her research, she lived in India and even met with the Dalai Lama. She felt passionate about writing a book based on the recent events in the area, and grounded in the setting she grew up in and fell in love with.
‘A wonderful story of courage and hope’ – Amy Wilson (A Girl Called Owl)
‘From the beginning, it had heart and excitement. I knew it would be a winner!’ – Lucy Christopher (Stolen)
‘A powerful, compelling story of hope, wisdom and compassion…’ -Steve Voake (The Dreamwalkers’s Child)
‘…one of those stories that gives its young readers an honest understanding of some of the awful things that go on in the world, but balance that understanding with a narrative of survival and hope…’ – The Book Bag
