The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

by Victoria Williamson

Reema runs to remember the life she left behind in Syria.
Caylin runs to find what she's lost. Under the gray Glasgow skies, twelve-year-old refugee Reema is struggling to find her place in a new country, with a new language and without her brother. But she isn't the only one feeling lost. Her Glasgwegian neighbor Caylin is lonely and lashing out. When they discover an injured fox and her cubs hiding on their estate, the girls form a wary friendship. And they are more alike than they could have they both love to run. As Reema and Caylin learn to believe again, in themselves and in others, they find friendship, freedom and the discovery that home isn't a place, it's the people you love. Heartfelt and full of hope, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is an uplifting story about the power of friendship and belonging. Inspired by her work with young asylum seekers, debut novelist Victoria Williamson's stunning story of displacement and discovery will speak to anyone who has ever asked 'where do I belong?'

Genres: Middle Grade, Sports, Social Issues, Animals, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2018

About the author

A lifelong storyteller and daydreamer, Victoria Williamson is an author and teacher who has lived and worked in Africa, China, America and the UK.

Victoria grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills on the edge of a forest estate where many of her early ghost stories and fantasy tales were born amid the magical trees and spooky old ruined buildings.

After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real life adventures, which included teaching Maths and Science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with special needs in the UK.

A qualified primary school teacher with a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Yunnan University and a Master’s degree in Special Needs Education, Victoria is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her novels where all children can see a reflection of themselves in a heroic role.

Victoria’s experiences of teaching young children in a deprived area of Glasgow, many of whom were asylum seekers, inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of friendship between Glasgow girl Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.

Victoria writes fantasy, adventure, science fiction and contemporary issue novels for Middle Grade (9-12), Teen, and Young Adult readers. Many of her books have been inspired by children she has met on her travels, both abroad and in the UK. She is currently working on a Middle Grade novel exploring the issues faced by a boy with ADHD who is struggling to fit in with his new step-family, and a spooky adventure novel for Teens, centred around a cast of characters with special needs including deafness, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.

Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.

You can find out more about Victoria's books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

Reviews

[Lucy-May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely book that centred on the importance of good friends & feeling like you belong. Reema & Caylin’s characters were fab & I adored their development throughout the story. Plus, there’s foxes! 💕

I received this book from Kelpies in return for an honest review.

⚠️ This book contains an Islamophobic character ⚠️

Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2Bq

[Michelle Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this story of two outsiders and a friendship which changes their lives. Reema, a Syrian refugee and Caylin, a bully stealing to survive get off to a rocky start, before a secret encourages them to trust each other.

The two girls’ voices were equally convincing, unique and well-written, and the story is compelling and easy to read. A sensitive, powerful and incredibly relevant message in empathy and togetherness. Highly recommended.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about the friendship formed between two 12 year old girls in Scotland. First: lispy bully Caylin who spends her days stealing lunch money from other kids and her evenings caring for her alcoholic mum, hoping no one discovers that her only parent is effectively useless in a deep depressive funk since the death of her grandfather. Second; Syrian refugee Reema who desperately misses home and her brother who has been missing since before they escaped Syria. Her formerly strong and faithful father is not feeling the call to pray and sits in his wheelchair desperately searching the internet for hints of his son. Caylin and Reema both find an injured mother fox behind their apartment and begin to feed her and her cubs. Their friendship grows (in fits and starts) as they come to realize they are both taking care of this fox family.

Anything you didn’t like about it? Nothing. This story is a delightfully nuanced, diverse, thoughtful and even fun/cute story of friendship and learning to be a good person. The ending is a bit overly sweet but it works with the rest of the feel-good story.

To whom would you recommend this book? Really great for anyone who loves a great story of friendship

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reema is a 12 year old Syrian refugee who has moved to Glasgow in Scotland. She takes up running because it helps her to remember her home in Syria.

Caylin is also a runner - but for very different reasons. Caylin is lonely, but would not admit it.

The two girls are nothing alike, yet when they discover a fox that is injured - one that has a family of cubs to take of - the two girls conspire to keep the knowledge of the fox's existence a secret,

It is that shared secret that ultimately leads to a friendship between these two unlikely allies.

The fact that the author works with displaced persons is evident in the writing of this book. They say to write about what you know, and in this book - it works out beautifully.

With the current refugee crisis, this is the perfect time to pick up this book.

Definitely deserving of the highest rating 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is one of those books that really makes you think. Victoria Williamson has done an absolutely fantastic job capturing the lives and the stories of these two young girls; Reema, a refugee from Syria, and Caylin, the daughter of an impoverished alcoholic who responds to her struggles by stealing and bullying. Bound by the responsibility of caring for an injured fox and her newborn cubs, these two girls from very different worlds slowly befriend and understand each other, building a truly life-changing friendship together. And as the two take care of the fox, they end up taking care of each other.

This is one of those stories that truly builds on your emotions, taking them in entirely different directions throughout the course of the novel. You find yourself hurting as the characters hurt, crying with and for them with each new piece of themselves that you learn. I was immensely impressed with Williamson’s novel, with the level of depth and development that the two main girls in her book had. Even the secondary characters have some of the most exceptional development I’ve ever seen.

Not only does this novel have amazing characters, but it has truly exceptional backstories for each of them. Readers get to see the friendship between these two young women build slowly and evolve for each of them in their time of need. The diversity in the story is something that I think many people need to be exposed to and this story is an excellent way of opening one's eyes to the experiences of other people. I was really impressed with this novel and taken on quite an emotional ride throughout the course of it. The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is a story of friendship and of the healing that it can bring and it is definitely one worth reading.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. Beautifully and sensitively written, it is a story I can't wait to share with my children. *edited to say that my girls loved it. Shared with a work colleague who is going to use it for guided reading.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a fox, who unites two girls that feel they have nothing in common.

One is a Syrian refugee who has lost everything and the other is a girl who has lost her grandparents, and her mother has spiraled into such a depression that she does nothing but drink all day.

But, both girls discover a fox who has had kits (baby foxes), and they each, independently feel that they must save both the mother fox, who is injured, as well as her offspring.

And no, this isn't hokey. Caylin is bad, she steals, and she threatens little kids, and she is unpleasant. And poor Reema is her neighbor, and she doesn't understand what is going on with her, because Caylin won't let her.

Very natural and heartbreaking story. Each of their names translates to the name in the title. Caylin Todd translates to Fox Girl, and Reema's name means a White Gazelle.

Told in two voices, so we can see how Reema is viewing Glasgow, and her new world, and how Caylin is viewing it as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caylin is not liked by the other children. Partly because she often comes to school in dirty, smelly clothes but also because she's a bully, stealing money from others. However, what nobody realises is that Caylin's grandfather died a year ago and her mother is struggling to come to terms with her loss, often depressed and leaving Caylin to fend for herself. Reema's family are Syrian refugees, fleeing the war after her father was injured in a gas attack. They are housed in Caylin's apartment so the girls end up at school together.

Both girls discover an injured fox and her cubs behind the apartment's bins; at first they are antagonistic towards each other but as they feed the foxes and look after them so they slowly become friends. However, the foxes are in danger from a nosy neighbour and the girls have to decide whether to save the foxes or represent their school in the local athletic championships.

Lots of issues to explore - friendship, bullying, depression, grief, families, refugees.

[Caitlin tracy guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Christina Banach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale of a fox, a twelve-year-old Syrian refugee, and a school bully has all the qualities of the very best fiction: wonderful characters, a gripping and well-structured plot, vivid settings, believable dialogue and much, much more.

Against the backdrop of the fox’s battle to protect her cubs in a harsh urban environment, we see the burgeoning friendship between local girl Caylin, and new girl Reema who is trying to adjust to a life lived far from her homeland. United by their concern for the foxes, and their talent for running, the girls learn from one another, and realise that despite their disparate backgrounds there is more that unites them than divides them.

Although The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is heart-breaking in parts, it’s beautifully and sensitively told. It’s also moving, wholly engaging, and ultimately uplifting and brimming with hope. This powerful tale of tolerance and understanding is an important story for our times, a novel that deserves to garner many prizes and should be stocked in every bookstore, library and school. In short, it’s one of the best books I have read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[BooksForTopics · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Every refugee has a story to tell. This is Reema’s.”

Author Victoria Williamson is an experienced primary teacher who has seen first hand the difficulties faced by child refugees resettling in the UK. Her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, is in part inspired by her own experiences of teaching very young refugees in Glasgow and the story is a compelling and compassionate recount of one girl’s resettlement and an unlikely friendship with a troubled neighbour.

Reema is a twelve-year-old refugee who has been forced to flee Syria with her family and has moved to Scotland. As Reema tries to settle into her council flat, she misses the familiarity of home, struggles with traumatic memories of war torn Syria and is plagued with worry about what might have happened to her missing older brother.

Another girl from Reema’s new class at school lives in the same block of flats. Caylin is feisty, unpopular and insecure. She aggressively bullies other children while secretly struggling to cope with her mother’s alcohol addiction and mental health issues that have spiralled out of control since the death of Caylin’s grandfather.

The narrative unfolds with chapters alternating between the two girls’ perspectives. Initially the pair feel like they are worlds apart and that friendship is out of the question. Slowly, as the girls work together to nurture an injured fox found near their homes, they begin to see that they have more in common than they thought and a friendship steadily blossoms.

The portrayal and development of the two main characters at the heart of the book is triumphant and engaging. Each girl has very believable insecurities, flaws and desires that are drawn out in the narrative with deep compassion without any hint of stereotyping. Part of Reema’s struggle to give her new home a chance stems from her inability to see how she can assimilate into a Scottish culture that feels so unimaginably different from her beloved home; “even the trees speak a different language,” she muses. While anger-filled Caylin is seen stealing her classmate's birthday money and hurting children from younger classes, she is portrayed as being deeply lonely and insecure, partly because of a speech impediment but mostly because she is steeped with worry about social services finding out that she is left to fend for herself while her mother tries to recover from an abusive relationship and an alcohol addiction. It is almost impossible to read these accounts without developing the utmost empathy for Reema and Caylin and rooting for them to help each other belong.

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle is an important story addressing topical issues and hugely relevant themes of overcoming difference, learning to trust and connecting to others in the face of hopelessness. Both Reema and Caylin have stories that need to be heard and the book is an essential addition to primary libraries and upper KS2 classrooms.

Many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending me a review copy of this book.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book needs an updated US version, otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. The Scottish vernacular is very much present and distracting.

I love the characters Williamson has created. Caylin is rough around the edges. She's a girl bully, which is unusual. She has good reason. Her mum goes through periods of depression, unable to work. Caylin is left to get food the only way she can, by stealing and threatening kids. She has no friends, partly because she has a lisp, but mostly because she's a bully.

Reema is a Syrian refugee. She's not thrilled about her new home in Scotland. She doesn't like the food and can barely speak English. Initially, she and Caylin get off on the wrong foot, but a shared interest in saving a family of foxes and shared talent for running, bring them together.

This quote stuck with me. "It's just typical that the only person I can trust with my secrets is someone who barely understands a word I say."

I love that this is an unlikely friendship from the start. These two girls should not have become friends. Their struggles are nothing alike. But in the end, surviving struggles often comes down to just having a friend in the first place. I love the imagery of the foxes. Both girls identify with the foxes because they see themselves as a fox struggling to survive and wanting desperately for someone to step in and help.

The story is told in the girl's alternating perspectives. By the end, they prove they can be a part of a team. Caylin makes amends for her bullying. Remma realizes home is not a place. Just an all around well-crafted story.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now one of my favourite middle grade reads. It's such a beautiful tale that also highlights the importance of social issues and throws in sports and animal welfare too. So many great connections points!

I ended up buying this book at a library book sale. They have these sales every year and I always get some really cool books out of them. Ones I would never stumble across in my regular book buying journey (or addiction/obsession...). This was definitely one of my greatest wins since I absolutely adored it. And this was one of the weird times where I read the book slowly because I loved it. I kept re-reading passages and thinking about how great this would be in a middle grade classroom. The focus on being a child who has immigrated to a new country and how difficult that is. The difficulty of being a daughter of a mother who might have an addiction and isn't the healthiest (in terms of toxicity) to be around. A message of grief, of animal welfare, or social justice. There's so many great themes in here and yet it's such a fantastic middle grade read at the same time. It didn't feel preachy or over the top. It felt so real and oh so beautiful.

And there's baby foxes, so who doesn't love those?

I need this book to be more well known, just for the sake of me loving it so much and wanting to talk about it. Middle grade school classrooms should be doing case studies on this book as an option. Victoria Williamson deserves lots of love for this absolutely beautiful book.

Five out of five stars.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caylin - a tough cookie who has to look after herself and her Mum with a lack of money as Mum isn't working as she is suffering from depression caused by grief at the loss of her father. Caylin finds it easy to steal from those that attempt to bully her because she needs that money. She lives in a Glasgow flat.

Reema - a refugee from Syria who moves to a Glasgow flat with her Mum, Dad and sister, Sara. Her brother Jamal is still missing in Syria. Her Dad is in a wheelchair because he was in a building filled with poisonous gas.
They both find the fox and her cubs behind the bin store. They both feed her and name her. They only find out when they are both there at the same time. Can they keep the foxes hidden and safe while the mother's leg recovers.
It takes a while but as their lives begin to change - Reema is in school and is running (which she loves). Caylin's Mum meets a new man - a really nice one - even if he does have a little boy. Caylin too loves running. Caylin likes short distances, Reema long distances.
Caylin thinks the names Reema gave the Fox and cubs are weird - why does a name need to have a meaning? Until she finds that Reema is "White Gazelle", Reema says to look up hers....Caylin means girl - bit boring but Todd means Fox - she is the Fox Girl. She couldn't be more pleased.

By the end they even manage to become friends with the other girls, and Caylin begins to right her wrongs.

Loved it. The two girls story is intertwined with poems about the fox, which is very unusual and it made the story more special.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caylin is in the middle of some very difficult circumstances, her mother has an alcohol addiction and is out of work and suffering from depression following the death of her father. Caylin gets by in life by bullying other kids and stealing in order to bring home enough food for herself and her mom. At school she stays quiet in order to hide her lisp and to stay off the radar of the other students and teachers. She is afraid to hope or to see anything positive in the world but that changes when she finds an injured fox and her 5 babies behind a garden shed at her apartment building. Reema and her family are newly arrived in Scotland after fleeing Syria and spending many months at a refugee camp. The family is grateful to have a safe place to land but they are all traumatized by the experiences that they have been through, especially the separation from their eldest child who was lost on the journey. Reema does not want to call Scotland home but caring for the fox in her back garden begins to open her up to this new land. In alternating chapters the story progresses with some positive steps forward for the girls but also with many steps back. Some things can be predicted as the plot advances but there are surprises as well. It's a very lovely middle grade book with a lot of regional color from both Scotland and Syria. This novel started as a three-star book for me but crept up to four-stars around page 50 when the girls truly began to see each other.

[snowballsmoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly relevant for the current times, as well as being full of hope and empathy and simply a joy to read, this book should be in every school library in the UK. The two central characters are intelligently and sensitively drawn. One is a vulnerable and kind-hearted, Syrian refugee trying to cope with the loss of her home and adjust to life in a strange country; and the other is a troubled native of Glasgow struggling to maintain an outward appearance of being tough and dispassionate in order to prevent the world from seeing her secret heartbreak.
Despite their differences, the two characters have one thing in common; they are both outsiders in sore need of comfort and understanding. The reader easily identifies with their rich and engaging voices and quickly feels gripped by the character’s emotional journey toward friendship. A mutual love of running and a secret shared at the back of their garden, helps forge a trust between the girls that is touching and powerful.
At its heart the story asks what we need in our lives to feel a sense of belonging, and the answers provided are beautiful and rewarding.
This is a real gem of a middle grade novel; a story that is both hugely entertaining as well as being deeply educational. Relative to our times I can’t think of a more important topic for our young generation of readers.
Highly Recommended for all ages, but especially 10 to 14.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle by Victoria Williamson, 243 pages. Kelpies (Floris Books), 2018. $10.

Language: PG (3 mild swears); Mature Content: PG (kids smoking, stealing); Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Caylin is a bully with a lisp. Reema is a Syrian refugee. Caylin steals food. Reema doesn’t know much English. Other than both girls having a talent for running, they have little in common. That is until they discover they are both caring for a family of foxes behind their apartment building. They form an unlikely friendship over their struggles. Caylin acts tough to deal with poverty. Reema is a stranger in a strange land. Once they join forces and follow their talent to the track team, they learn that sometimes a friend is all you need to survive.

I love both these girls. They are so different, yet so alike. They both have struggles which are compounded by not having a soul to share them with. Once they decide to lower their walls, they end up helping each other rise to make their struggles more bearable and become a better person. A note on the language: The setting is Scotland and the Scottish verbiage is strong. I hope they publish a US version.

Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...

[Yasmeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book is the fox girl and the white gazelle by Victoria Williamson.

It is about a girl called Caylin she loves running and is really fast, after all she gets it from her gran who was an Olympic athlete. Her mum is an alcoholic and has just met someone new that came to fix the shower. Her grandad just passed away she has no friends and little does she know she is about to meet one.

Then there is Reema she is a Syrian refugee who has come to Glasgow because there is a war in Syria.Her dad is now disabled because of a gas attack and her older brother is missing. She is really good at running and is very fast. She is trying to learn how to speak English, she is not settling in very well and needs a friend, little does she know she is about to meet one.

Reema and Caylin both need friends in this book their is a secret in a garden that will bring them together.

My favourite part of this book is when they find Reema's older brother.

It is my favourite book because it is so realistic and life like there are so many real life issues that goes on in this book such as racism and bullying. It is very dramatic as well which I love in a good book.
This book is suitable for anyone of any age and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. I think this book definitely deserves five stars.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sees a Scottish bully called Caylin and a Syrian refugee called Reema who is newly arrived to Glasgow team up to save a fox and her cubs, discover a shared passion for running and forge a friendship that alters both of their lives, and it also explores their family lives/the grief they are navigating from the recent loss of family members. It is every bit as heartbreaking, yet ultimately heartwarming and uplifting as that description makes it sound. The characters are so complex and imperfect, yet I loved both of them a lot, and was beyond desperate for their lives to improve and for them to succeed with running. Their friendship was beautiful too; it took a while for them to move past their initial dislike of each other, but it was wonderful watching them support each other once they were friends. The book tackles alcoholism and depression, which Caylin`s mum has, and also explores how refugees may feel when arriving in a new country, which is an all too often ignored perspective, and both of these added to my love for the protagonists as I had so much sympathy for how much they had to face. I highly recommend this if you want to read a contemporary MG that make you consider what life would be like for people who have led very different lives to you. 4.5/5

[Emily W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this from Edelweiss in exchange for an Honest Review**







Thank you Edelweiss, Kelpies publishers, and Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for letting me read and review this book!! ^_^

Also this book is still available to request on Netgalley for a little bit longer.

Before Thoughts:
I can tell this will likely be a middle grade book, it'll probably focus on overcoming adversity with racism, moving to a new country, living away from family, and isolation.

And I really hope that this story is as uplifting as it says it is. And I hope that I'll enjoy this story a lot with its themes of friendship and diversity.

Review:
Read on:08/21/18
To be published on:09/04/18

Plot:
So the story focuses on the POVs of two 12 year-olds name Caylin and Reema.

They each have their own struggles to overcome before they can run free and be happy again.

Caylin struggles with the broken state of her mom. Her mom feels broken due to the loss of Caylin's Grandad. Caylin has a lisp and she feels self-conscious about it that it sort of becomes a barrier for her when it comes to making friends and she decides to express most of her feelings through anger and bullying instead of being more upfront about it.

Reema is from Syria and her struggles pertain to her learning English, making friends in this new and unfamiliar country, dealing with racism, and trying to get rid of her guilt and sadness over her missing brother named Jamal.

They aren't good friends in the beginning but as time goes on they bond over their little secret behind the shed. And that secret is that they both helped feed a fox and her cubs even knowing how dangerous and how much trouble they might incur from looking after the foxes.

The story features them growing from their struggles to become stronger and to create a friendship that will last.

And even though this is middle grade I believe that anyone could enjoy it since it does try to touch on a few serious themes that some kids might be faced with.

Character(s):
Caylin: She's about 11 or 12, she has a lisp. Her mom is a drinker due to the loss of Caylin's Grandad. Caylin Todd is the fox girl because that is what her name actually means.

She bullies others and is prone to anger due to her situation and a lack of confidence with her lisp. She is great at running and is often compared with her grandma as far as running goes.

Reema: A girl from Syria with an older brother named Jamal (Who is missing.), a little sister named Sara, and her mother and father. Her family just barely escaped from the war and bombings that occur in Syria. Her father is prone to seizures and he's stuck in a wheelchair. She's not sure how much better the country of Scotland is from her home in the country of Syria.

There's probably a strong chance that she wishes things could be different in her own country of Syria that way she could maybe go back. She wants to improve her English and she must overcome racism from an ignorant man and his dog. Her name translates to the White Gazelle and like Caylin she is an excellent runner.

Her morals are very strong which is something to admire.


Final Thoughts:
The kindle format for this ARC is unreadable and could've used more time to make sure it was suitable for reviewers to read from. Also not to mention all of the pages and chapters were out of order and sideways.

However the adobe digital editions ARC is actually good on its format very clear to read and the pages aren't all choppy when you read them.

The book was very well written for a middle grade and the author being a teacher obviously shows. She must know quite a bit about understanding a kids' situation.

The only thing that kind of took a star off was that sometimes the symbolism with the foxes wasn't always used to its fullest potential. And the man and his dog while they were a conflict they kind of got pushed a bit to the back burner and weren't used to their fullest potential either.

But overall this was well written and I think it should be read by teachers to elementary kids or maybe given as a reading assignment for middle school kids.

Recommends to:
Teachers, Middle grade/Elementary kids, and probably everyone since I think any person can read it and enjoy it.

Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for Reading!! ^_^
And go catch that good book!! ^_^


My Blog Site

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book!! It is about two young girls, one called: Caylin who lives with her mother and another called: Reema who lives with her mother, father and sister. Caylin's mother is an alcoholic which Caylin finds difficult to deal with so ends up stealing and bullying. Her next door neighbour Reema and her family are refugee's from Syria. Despite both girls having very different backgrounds they both build a very special bond through the responsibility they both have/want of looking after an injured fox and her newborn cubs.

Williamson has written this novel very well as it is narrated through the eyes of Caylin and Reema. Every emotion that each girl experiences really has the same affect on the reader to! Lastly, the diversity within this story is absolutely crucial for children and adults to be exposed to and through this novel it definitely opens your eyes as to how different people experience life!

Definitely recommend to UKS2 children either as an individual read or a whole class read. It is suitable for both boys and girls.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle
by Victoria Williamson
Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC

Kelpies
Children's Fiction , Middle Grade
Pub Date 14 Sep 2018


I am reviewing The Fox Girl and White Gazelle through Kelpies and Nethalley:





Reema remembers her life in Syria by running. Caylin runs to see if she can find what she has lost.


Reema is a refugee trying to find her place in Glasgow, she finds herself having to learn a new language and she is without her brother.


Caylin is Reema’s Glasgweian neighbor. Lonely, Caylin lashes out, but one day the girls find an injured fox and her cubs hiding on their estate, causing the girls to form a wary friendship. Soon the girls start to realize they are more a like than they could have imagined, both girls love to run. As the girls begin to believe in themselves and others again they realize home is the people you love.


I give The Fox and the White Gazelle five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting- I just couldn’t put it down I had to find out what happened. This book should be in every class in every school. The themes carefully explored are very relevant in our society today and sidelined children will be able to see themselves in these books through the heroic characters so skillfully depicted by the author. I loved it. There were tears - of joy and hope. A beautiful story of friendship, bereavement, neglect, mental health, bullying, migration and war. Victoria Williamson has the ability to take you to another place and make you fall in love with complete strangers her writing is that good. This will be a perfect read aloud in Y6+. I will be sharing with our Y6s in school. It deserves more than 5 stars.

[Christina Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to start my 2020 reading with! The story follows Caylin, a young teenager who is struggling to keep her family together after the death of her grandfather and her mother's subsequent fall into depression and alcoholism. The second narrative follows Reema, a young Syrian refugee who has been rehomed in Glasgow and is learning English, while her father tries to find her missing older brother and is learning to deal with his health problems after being the victim of chemical warfare. Their paths cross when an injured, pregnant fox takes refuge in the rubbish shed behind their tower of flats and the girls discover that, despite their different life experiences, they also have lots in common.
This is a thoughtful and important book, which should be in every school library.

[Delphi☺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.Especially when they were running it was Amazing how the different thoughts drive them to their best efforts . This book was Amazing . And especially again how caylin finds her family coming back together after it was destroyed when her grand mother died . I loved this book it was great .the friendship that formed when reema and caylin become friends and how reeema come to a new country I think she did very well settling in to a new country when everyone is different even when people teased her for wearing a head scarf . And when Calvin's mum stops drinking caylin feels like she belongs again . And her friendship with reema only makes her better . This book is AMAZING

[Julia Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hits the ground running and keeps you gripped to the last page.

The characters are great - feisty and brave with valid insecurities and gruelling life experiences. Reema gives the reader a moving insight into the life of a child refugee; I learnt things I didn't know and was forced to address a few things I just hadn't considered before. Caylin - a bully - is well drawn and complex and I enjoyed seeing her vulnerable side which was completely authentic.

The novel comes with a message - something that sometimes puts me off books - but this one is important, relevant and necessary and told within a great story.

A sometimes uncomfortable but ultimately uplifting read.

[Juliette Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is an old Chinese proverb that says if you read books you live a thousand lives. In The Fox Girl and The White Gazelle we follow two lives: Reema's – who is a refugee from Syria and Caylin's – who is the carer of a parent with an alcohol addiction. United through wanting to keep an injured fox and its cubs safe, an unlikely friendship is struck and eventually blossoms. A fantastic read to understand the plight of refugees as well as the daily struggles that affect kid's lives at home. I'd say this was an important book for schools to read and discuss.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, especially seeing the story progress through the eyes of birth main characters. Caylin of the school bully, but as the story progresses you see that she is hard on the outside because she is protecting what she loves. Reema is a refugee, escaping the West in Syria and finding it difficult to see Scotland as her home. They form an unlikely friendship through their common talent and shared love of nature. A story that gives the reader a better understanding of those without a voice.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book about two girls - Reema a refugee from Syria, and Caylin, a lonely bully who is dealing with a difficult situation at home. Initially antagonistic, Caylin gradually befriends Reema who has come to live in her apartment complex. Refreshingly, Caylin doesn’t not like Reema because she is a refugee, but simply because she is scarred to make friends with anyone at all. It’s a lovely story of reconciliation and healing, where the girls become friends when they look after an injured fox and her cubs who they shelter, secretly, in their shared garden. A great read.