Keeping Henry

A subtle and many-layered story, one of Nina Bawden's best
What a consummate storymaker Nina Bawden is
Throughout her career Bawden has concentrated on the careful depiction of character, feelings and behaviour
'The hay stirred. There was a small nibbling sound. A furry head poked out ... his eyes seemed alert and inquisitive, as if he were as interested in us as we were in him'

Henry is only three inches long when naughty Charlie catapults him out of his nest - a poor baby red squirrel, all ragged and skinny. He is too young to survive being released into the wild, but can a squirrel be a pet?

Henry's new human family has also had to adapt to a different way of life. Evacuated from London during the Blitz to a farm in Wales, they were upturned from their old life just like Henry was tipped out of his nest. Can this mischievous little creature, who runs up the children like they are trees and makes nests of their clothes, help them to settle into their new life?


'Nina Bawden's readers should be numbered like the sands of the sea' Guardian