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The Shell Keepers
An enchanting and sunny seaside adventure - perfect for sunny days ahead!
When Corrine picks up a shell on the beach, she doesn’t expect to see a tiny girl inside it.
Kauri lives below the sand and sea, travelling with her family on the tides. But now their miniature world is in danger, and they need a shell keeper to keep them safe . . .
A cosy middle-grade debut from Truly Johnston, winner of the Bath Children’s Novel Award 2022.
A heart-warming tale about a family of miniature people cast adrift in the human world.
Shades of The Borrowers in a coastal seaside setting.
Themes of belonging, identity, environment and activism, wrapped up in a sunny adventure and treasure hunt.
When Corrine picks up a shell on the beach, she doesn’t expect to see a tiny girl inside it.
Kauri lives below the sand and sea, travelling with her family on the tides. But now their miniature world is in danger, and they need a shell keeper to keep them safe . . .
A cosy middle-grade debut from Truly Johnston, winner of the Bath Children’s Novel Award 2022.
A heart-warming tale about a family of miniature people cast adrift in the human world.
Shades of The Borrowers in a coastal seaside setting.
Themes of belonging, identity, environment and activism, wrapped up in a sunny adventure and treasure hunt.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2025
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 17, 2025
Ah, I loved this book. It reminded me of the magic of reading The Borrowers when I was a child, although The Shell Keepers is very much its own thing. The very idea that the shells you might find on a beach are homes to tiny people brings a new sense of wonder to the seaside :-)
The Shell Keepers would be great for kids in years 3 to 6 (my own daughter, in year 5, has her eye on my copy). Corrine is an engaging protagonist through whom to discover the new world that unfolds. Her loving relationship with her Sri Lankan grandfather, and her grief after his death, provides the heart of the story. And the messages about protecting our natural environments and all who live in them, and the impact that ordinary people can have if they work together, are all important ones.
That's to say nothing of the Democonch (the people who live in the shells), their language and their amazing-sounding travels. I can't decide whether I most want to be a Democonch or a Shell Keeper!
Perfect vibes for a warm sunny day.
The Shell Keepers would be great for kids in years 3 to 6 (my own daughter, in year 5, has her eye on my copy). Corrine is an engaging protagonist through whom to discover the new world that unfolds. Her loving relationship with her Sri Lankan grandfather, and her grief after his death, provides the heart of the story. And the messages about protecting our natural environments and all who live in them, and the impact that ordinary people can have if they work together, are all important ones.
That's to say nothing of the Democonch (the people who live in the shells), their language and their amazing-sounding travels. I can't decide whether I most want to be a Democonch or a Shell Keeper!
Perfect vibes for a warm sunny day.
Displaying 1 of 1 review