Letters from the Upside

by Katya Balen

A captivating story about finding friendship and hope … and a place where you can spread your wings. From Carnegie Medal winner Katya Balen.

Con has been angry ever since Dad left. He doesn't want to be. He wants to play FIFA with his best friend Kyron; to make his mum proud; to let people's words about his dad roll off him like water. Instead, rage builds inside him until he explodes. Now even Kyron is scared of him. And when Con gets suspended from school he knows he's let everyone down. The good person he longs to be feels unreachable.

And then his neighbour, Mr Williams, lets him in on a secret.

Up on the roof of Con's building, Mr Williams keeps homing pigeons. Their feathers are the colour of pearls and storm clouds. Every day they fly out, carrying messages to people in other towns before finding their way home. Mr Williams wants Con's help looking after them. Con can't believe it. How could someone like him be trusted with these delicate creatures? But slowly, Con begins to believe that he can.

Then Mr Williams goes away for a few days. Con is left in charge, and he begins to wonder whether the pigeons might be able to bring home more than just messages. Perhaps they could find his dad.

Genres: Childrens

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

Katya Balen is a British author of children's literature. She was born in 1989, in London. Her novel October, October won the 2022 Carnegie Medal. Her work has also been nominated for the Branford Boase Award and the Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation.

Reviews

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does Katya Balen do it? Every one of her books is unique and at the heart of all the stories is an immense sense of hope and possibility.

Letters from the Upside is simply superb - a book that will grab readers from 9-11 and is certainly a book to be considered as an upper key stage 2 class read( so much to talk about) but also a great. book for parents and children to share together.

This is the story of Con; Con is angry and ever since dad left home Con's explosive temperament has resulted in being suspended from class following an incident with a class bully ( he wants revenge) and also losing the trust of hi best friend, Kyron.

Having to spend time at home, Con discovers an unknown world- up on the rooftop of the block of flats is something magical- The Upside! Neighbour, Mr Williams, introduces Con to his pigeons and their incredible ability to fly and return but also travel long distances with messages. Con is filled with hope- could the pigeons help him find his dad? And when Mr Williams has to go away and leaves Con 'in-charge ' of the birds, can he finally prove to everyone that he can be trusted and do something successfully ?

What makes Katya Balen's books standout are the connections and the deep empathy with the challenges of being a young person in a difficult world- especially in cities and with children with only one parent at home. Emotions are palpable and Con's inner frustration and anger exude off the page. Yes, there are resolutions but these only arise from a growing understanding and support from all around- face to face human connections and breaking down misunderstandings

Any book that unites cross generational characters is important especially in a time when both older and younger people can feel distant /alienated from one another . The friendship between Con and Mr Williams is what shines through in this brilliant read.

Letters from the Upside is superb- highly recommended. One of the top children's books for 2025!!


Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another perfectly gorgeous middle grade novel from Balen, about finding 'the Upside', and turning pain into goodness. A beautiful and emotional read about a boy who learns beauty from homing pigeons, and the grumpy but kind Mr Williams. Con is a delightfully different protagonist, and once again Balen crafts a story that will pull on the emotional heartstrings of all ages.
Katya Balen's books may be aimed at middle grade readers, but they shine in the hearts of everyone.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for this eARC!)

[Jo Bardgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters from the upside
By Katya Balen
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Katya Balen does it again - a unique storyline full of warmth, honesty but above all love in many forms, especially in times of need.

Troubled Con can’t get anything right.
School is tricky, a nightmare when he can’t control his temper - suspended!
Friendships are difficult especially when he can’t control his temper - loneliness!
His dad has left and Con believes everything is his fault - guilty!
And all Con feels is anger - at school, at home, at his friends and at his mum!
So when his neighbour Mr Williams gives him a chance to learn and care for his pigeons, he can’t believe anyone could be so trusting and kind. But when he is left alone to care for them disaster strikes.
Will Con bolt, allowing his anger to take over him?
Will Con be brave enough to make a stand?
Will Con make a change and see things differently for himself, his neighbour and the future?

All he wants is to find some answers and the good person he longs to be feels so unreachable.

Katya Balen has written another beautiful and hopeful story about finding yourself again. When things are difficult, time and talk is a great healer. This storyline tells of ways to find a better place, where you can be at peace with your own thoughts and spread your wings.

How can someone trust you when you don’t trust yourself?
How can strangers come together to help others?
How can kindness overcome anger?

I loved every page of this beautiful story. I couldn’t read it fast enough but didn’t want it to end. And spoiler alert - it made me cry!
A must for every classroom and library with the message “Talk your feelings through because there is always an upside to everything!” ❤️👏📚

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgallery

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letters from the Upside
Written by Katya Balen
Published by Bloomsbury.

I have always said that Katya Balen is one the best children’s author a
Round, everything she writes is completely different, but she never shys away from the tough issues children face.
But she does this with sensitivity and in a way that makes the reader understand.

Con has been angry ever since Dad left. He doesn't want to be. He wants to play FIFA with his best friend Kyron; to make his mum proud; to let people's words about his dad roll off him like water. Instead, rage builds inside him until he explodes. Now even Kyron is scared of him. And when Con gets suspended from school he knows he's let everyone down. The good person he longs to be feels unreachable.

And then his neighbour, Mr Williams, lets him in on a secret.

Up on the roof of Con's building, Mr Williams keeps homing pigeons. Their feathers are the colour of pearls and storm clouds. Every day they fly out, carrying messages to people in other towns before finding their way home. Mr Williams wants Con's help looking after them. Con can't believe it. How could someone like him be trusted with these delicate creatures? But slowly, Con begins to believe that he can.

Then Mr Williams goes away for a few days. Con is left in charge, and he begins to wonder whether the pigeons might be able to bring home more than just messages. Perhaps they could find his dad.

I personally feel that schools should consider using this book as a class read, it would open up so many important discussions.

This story is about anger and how you learn to work through it, it’s also about learning that you can’t control other people’s actions. But it’s also about how crossing the generations is good for all involved.

The author is amazing at showing empathy towards young people and the challenges they face.

[Jess Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart wrenchingly beautiful look at how we learn to control big emotions.

Katya Balen gets me every time.

Con is struggling to keep hold of his anger ever since his dad left. He knows he’s a bad kid and he knows that it’s all his fault that dad left, that mum is sad and that his best friend Kyron doesn’t want to be around him anymore.

He’s excluded from school and at a loose end when Mr Williams asks him to help him, up on the roof where the Sky spreads out for miles, to look after his pigeons. Con has to learn to be calm. Gentle. Safe. So that the birds will feel at home with him. Con can’t believe that someone would trust him with something so delicate and important and he strives to prove that he can be trustworthy.

This is such a fantastic story of how children learn to perceive themselves based on adults reactions to them. How giving a child a chance can provide them an opportunity to really show us who they are. And in all my years in teaching and managing children with difficult behaviour I’ve never felt so strongly the message that we get to choose our actions, we get to choose between pushing people away or bringing people together.

I’d recommend this story to children, young people and adults alike. We never know what someone is thinking about themselves but if we can be kind and patient and give people chances they might just prove they’re up to the challenge.

Beautifully written, a poetic glimpse into a child’s mind and how the kindness of adults can teach lessons we never expected.

[Katerina Karavapori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katya Balen is an incredibly talented writer and the quality of her writing is simply top tier, she consistently delivers beautiful stories which resonate with readers young and old and transcend the human experience, reminding us to show empathy, sympathy and respect to those around us, whose stories might be very different to what we assume. She tackles big themes with such care and sensitivity and above all, allows agency to her reader, with more showing and less telling, immersing us is stories that are engaging, emotive and stay with us long after we've finished reading them. Letters From the Upside is no different. We are prompt to consider the issues children face in the current living crisis and poverty as she highlights the need to be wild, to be free and how wonderfully magical nature can be , especially through the lens of an urban landscape. Con and Mr William are both well fleshed and realistic characters and through their character arcs, we are invited to reflect upon what emotional literacy looks for boys and men today.

A beautiful, touching story. Highly recommend for KS2 book club.

Thank you to Katya Balen, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

[Victoria Vivente · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Letters from the Upside, Carnegie Medal-winner Katya Balen crafts another profoundly moving and hopeful middle-grade novel. Con, a boy simmering with anger and loss after his father leaves, finds an unlikely path to healing on the rooftop of his building, among Mr. Williams’s flock of homing pigeons.

Balen’s signature empathy shines as she explores complex emotions, rage, guilt, and the longing for redemption, with unflinching honesty and gentle grace. The growing trust between Con and the pigeons, and the cross-generational friendship with Mr. Williams, becomes a beautiful metaphor for finding your way home, to others and to yourself. The writing is lyrical yet accessible, making Con’s journey both palpable and uplifting.

This is more than a story about a boy and birds; it’s a poignant exploration of how kindness, responsibility, and small acts of care can mend a fractured spirit. Highly recommended for readers aged 9+ and anyone who believes in the quiet power of second chances.

[Farah G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katya Balen knocks it out of the park with this touching story about Con, a boy who is struggling with the departure of his difficult, mercurial father and his own role in that process.

Left to cope alongside his abandoned mother - who is exhausted from the stress of keeping their lives together and managing Con's fragile moodiness and problematic temper - he struggles to manage his rage, which often bursts out and leaves destruction in its wake.

Help comes from an unexpected source, but will it continue to be offered after Con makes a mistake that has disastrous consequences?

This is a beautiful story about love, community, and finding happiness in life when that feels like an uphill task. Well worth reading.


I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading middle grade books about nature and the power it has to bring us happiness, peace and calm.
loved Con's character development throughout. He has such great adult role models around him.
A very relaxing, heartwarming book.

[Claire Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming children’s book about the importance of talking about feelings and the healing power of the natural world. Beautifully written 🥰

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

very very sweet.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it. Didn't love it. Cover is creepy