Giant

Description

It's hard to measure up in a family with high expectations. But it's even harder when those people sometimes use you as an arm rest. And call you 'Peanut'. Anzo is 11 years old and very, very short. Mum, Dad and his two uncles are extremely tall but they're also high achievers, obsessed with fulfilling their lifelong ambition of opening a restaurant together. Everyone has a role - chef, DIY, marketing, accounts - but where does Anzo fit in? If only he could grow a few inches in height, then no one would be able to overlook him. Josh would stop teasing Anzo in school, he wouldn't have to play all seven dwarfs in the school play, and at home he could tell his parents about his drawing and the comic convention he's been invited to. Then, overnight, Anzo starts to grow. Is life as a giant going to solve all his problems, or should he stop worrying and learn to just be himself?

Kate Scott was born in London of American parents. She has lived in Hong Kong, Paris, Scotland and two tiny villages in France, but now lives in Dorset with her husband and two children. Kate's poems have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and her short fiction on Radio 4 Extra. Her first published children's novel was Boy in Tights which developed into the three-book series, Spies in Disguise. Kate leads poetry workshops for children in conjunction with Tor Theatre and will be exploring new ways to discuss writing and creativity with young readers across the UK in celebration of her new standalone novel Giant. Alexandra Gunn is an illustrator who graduated with a Masters from the Glasgow School of Art in 2013 and currently works in the greeting card design industry. Inspired by her travels and her childhood growing up in Holland, everything she illustrates has its own story and quirky style. With a love for colour, hand drawn typography and funny characters, her passion is to illustrate for children's books, greeting cards, print and pattern design.

Tina Fey famously said that trying to be popular at school is like working really hard to be elected Mayor of a town that will be destroyed in four years time. Giant is a fresh and funny meditation on the fickleness of peer pressure, and the pointlessness of trying to conform to its demands. Anzo is the smallest in his class. He's regularly mistaken for a nursery school child and is the automatic butt of endless 'jokes' and nicknames. When the school decides that this year's play will be Snow White, he is cast as ALL SEVEN dwarfs. All that changes when he discovers a self-help book that actually works. It makes him taller. So the teasing should stop. But it doesn't. Now he gets teased for being too tall. If that makes it sound a bit like Big - then that would be no bad thing. But Giant is very much its own book. Anzo's solution lies in his own hands - literally. He's a gifted cartoonist and his drawings are just one of the added attractions that give the book an extra depth. It also has a cast of vivid characters. Anzo's own family is warm and lively but its members are all lost in their own preoccupations - they remind me a little of Helen Cresswell's Bagthorpes. His best friend - Elise - is a sharp courageous counsellor. It's a book that celebrates friendship and the power of being true to yourself. -- Frank Cottrell Boyce I'm always on the look out for great books to share with my boys and Giant is one of my all time favorites too. Kate Scott has got the voice of Anzo spot on and he is a very relatable character - Max certainly identified with him, especially around some of the teasing that Anzo experiences at school and as a Mum I was pleased that the book helped us to talk about topics that are sometimes difficult like feeling like you don't fit in. I also loved Anzo's best friend Elise with her many wise words and post-it notes. It was also lovely to see a well written and developed boy/girl friendship. * One More Page * a funny, heart-warming tale of exasperating families, faithful friends and how an 11-year-old boy overcame his insecurities. * Armadillo Magazine * Giant is one of those books you know you're just going to love - the kind you want to give a squishy hug to. Is one of those books that every kid should read. I thought this book was adorable. I wanted to keep reading about Anzo and his life, because his voice was just so raw and honest and hopeful. * Girl vs Ebooks * a wonderful, warm and funny story about growing up and learning to believe in yourself. * Reading Zone * Giant is one of those nice reads that takes you along on the journey, making you smile at the appropriate moments and when you reach the end you feel good about reading. Anzo's narration is engaging, plus he is a likeable character. Giant is a book about feeling like you don't fit and then finding that you don't have to change to fit. I thought that that message came across well. Giant was quite a quick read but I didn't think the story needed anymore. The comic was a nice touch and I liked the plot. * Luna's Little Library * Anzo is a well-written character - boys will relate well to him, and to the emotions he goes through. There is plenty of humour in the book, plus interesting family dynamics which make for a great heartwarming read. * Parents In Touch * ''Giant' is a brilliant book- a real 'feel good' read with a giant heart!' * North Somerset * This is a compassionate story told with the right balance of humour and poignancy and one that is likely to strike a chord with readers who have experienced the tension between fitting in and feeling free to be themselves. * Books for Topics * 'A lovely read for top juniors with an endearing hero, Anzo, who has a nice line in humorous observation.' * School Library Journal * A lovely read for top juniors with an endearing hero, Anzo, who has a nice line in humorous observation. * School Library Journal * I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story while covering topics like being proud of who you are and how everyone is different. It made me feel sad at times when it made me think about how sometimes people at school can be horrible but it was good at reminding me to be kind to other people and that everyone has different strengths * What Luke Did Next * I think that this book teaches a good lesson to younger kids: it is okay to be different and always be yourself. I learnt that even though people make fun of you or laugh at you, don't be discouraged. They are just making fun of you because they are jealous of you. They're also trying to act cool in front of people who think they are amazing. I don't have any criticisms about the book, it's amazing!!!!! -- Cameron, aged 10 * Anorak Magazine *