The Final Year and The First Year

by Matt Goodfellow

The Final Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS is at his side. But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, Nate's world turns upside down. As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he's dealt another blow when his youngest brother, Dylan, is rushed into the hospital. His new teacher, Mr Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that's lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to process what's going on.

The First Nate's 11 and has just finished primary school. After a challenging final year, life is looking up. His brother has recovered from a life-threatening heart condition, he's got the love of his mum, brothers and Auntie San, and he's off to secondary school with his two best mates. But while he's making new friends and struggling to come to terms with a strict new teacher, a sudden surprise appearance in Nate's life threatens to throw him completely off course.

Audible Audio

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Matt Goodfellow was a primary school teacher for more than ten years before becoming a full-time poet and author. Shu Lin’s Grandpa is his first book with Candlewick Press. He lives with his wife and children in Manchester, England.

Reviews

[liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Matt Goodfellow read his books, and it was so so good, I have imposter syndrome now.

[Camilla Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous.