Cloud Boy

by Marcia Williams

The diary of an irrepressible girl learning to deal with friendship, grief and growing up, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson.

Harry Christmas and Angie Moon are best friends and almost-twins. Ever since they were born two days apart they’ve been partners in cloud-spotting, sweet-eating and treehouse-building. But when Harry is taken to hospital for headaches that won’t go away, he needs Angie more than ever. Because when things fall apart, only a best friend can stitch them back together. Told through Angie's lively diary, this is a bittersweet story about friendship and growing up.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2019

About the author

Marcia Williams began to develop her distinctive comic-book style at an early age: "When I was about ten and wrote home to my family from boarding school," she says, "I never wrote normal letters. I tried to tell my family about what I was doing in a way that was more fun. Also, my parents didn't let me read comic books, so I decided to create my own."

This former nursery school teacher blends her storytelling skills and humorous illustrations with well-known figures and stories from literature. Her unique style has produced such vivid works and action-packed books as GOD AND HIS CREATIONS: TALES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. "Working on the Old Testament was a joy," Marcia Williams says. "The tales are so rich, it is always possible to find something new within them. Yet, at the same time, they have all the comfort of the familiar." The artist also found pleasure in creating CHARLES DICKENS AND FRIENDS, which presents five retellings of classic Dickens tales. Of her inspiration for this book, she tells of a teacher she once had "who was extremely fierce and angry . . . except when she read the stories of Charles Dickens aloud. Through her, all his characters lived, and I was transported to their Victorian world. I hope that readers will also enter the wonderful world of Charles Dickens through this book."


With BRAVO, MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE! and TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE Marcia Williams introduces young readers to the world of William Shakespeare's plays. Another classic she has made much more accessible to children--and more appreciated by them--is THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY. "My mother read me classics, but until I got older I never found them interesting," she says. "If I could make these stories more accessible, I realized, kids wouldn't have to wait until they were grown-up to appreciate them."


Marcia Williams traveled extensively as a child and was educated in Sussex, England, and Switzerland. During her varied career she has worked as an interior designer and has assisted cartoon artist and designer Gerald Scarfe in making papier-mâché and cloth sculptures.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

....my heart was stone cold I guess.

This book is supposed to make me cry and break my heart into tiny lego pieces... Well, I feel it's the writing that made me detached to the characters.

This book is simply easy to go through. Short with the shortest chapters.

The characters are convincing yet they still felt fictional.

The plot deals with terminal sickness, growing up and facts of life. But well, the historical component with the grandma's letters or the diary entries didn't do much.

The ending was a bit underwhelming.

But I feel the story is brave.

Take care of your loved ones while you can.

[Carol Chu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so moved by this book, I couldn’t let go of the story after reading it. A beautiful story about a beautiful friendship between a girl and a boy in diary entries, it’ll bring you joy and hope in all its ups and downs.

This was quite a fast read for me. The voice of the characters spoke so clear to me in those days I read this book. I learnt a lot too about clouds, the different types of clouds and when they appear, and also about quilting when Grandma Gertie told about her ordeal in Changi prison, Singapore as a young child during WW2. She told the two children, Angie Moon and Harry Christmas how when she was a young girl as part of the Girl Guides in the prison took up quilting to quilt a blanket for their Guides master, and how she met Grandpa Jimmy who hides a telescope in his hat!

Angie’s bravery when her best friend and almost twin, Harry when he got sick was very commendable. Her reactions to the whole situation was very real and raw, I could see her grief and how she handled herself maturely through her understanding at such a young age why Harry couldn’t be the way he was.

This would be the book I would recommend especially to young children on how to handle grief. It relates too to older readers, so I’d recommend it to others too, because I felt it truly relates to me too.

Thank you to Pansing for the arc in exchange for an honest review. You can get this book in any good bookstores.

Lots of love,
Carol Bookheart

This review originally appeared first at my blog which is https://cmyreads.wordpress.com/2019/0...

[Katie Mote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written as diary entries by a little girl called Angie as is about the adventures of her and her best friend Harry. Throughout the book we see the ups and downs of Angies emotions as she’s figuring out what is happening to her best friend as he becomes ill and has to spend time in and out of hospital. Written from the point of view of a child we see how she struggles to understand what is happening, struggles to understand her emotions, and yet finds comfort in writing in a diary and letting all the confusion out. Interwoven throughout the book we are able to experience the joy of grandma and the stories of when she was in prison in Changi and how she made a quilt (this is based on true facts)! The books takes us on a journey, where we feel all of Angies emotions, we praise grandma and the comfort she is, we long to hug harry and be there for him. We long to sit in Artcloud and look at the clouds with them. And this book lets us join in and be little children again, seeing the world from their point of view even when it feels scary

[Manon the Malicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a physical ARC at Deptcon 4 because Deptcon is the best.

Cloud Boy told the story of Angie Moon through diary entries.
I liked this format and enjoyed reading her story. Since it was a diary, the author wrote the book through a child voice. It was a very fast read and I enjoyed it. It was cute at times and a bit more unnerving at others, but all around this was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone, no matter their age.

[Brona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, there are lots of books about childhood friendship morphing into childhood illness, resulting in death and grief out there for kids these days. But every now and again you come across one that is so well done, you simply have to share about it.

Williams has written a touching story that is mostly told through journal entries.

Of particular interest (for me though) was the grandmother's story of her time in Changi prison as a child in WWII, that is told alongside the main story of Harry Christmas (cloud boy) and his best friend and neighbour, Angie Moon. Her story is told via the letters she wrote in secret, whilst in captivity, to her lost kitten. They reveal how a Girls Guide group was created to give the young girls a purpose during their time in Changi. They secretly sewed a quilt for their Guide leader to show her their love and appreciation.
This part is based on the true story of Olga Henderson - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/7...

Grandma's story reminds us that awful thing have happened to children all through the ages, and that despite the hardship, suffering, fear, loss and grief, we can survive. We can even do better than that - we can go on to live happy, full lives.

So as Angie and Harry deal with their own childhood crisis, we, the reader, can feel hope for the future and trust that any sadness can be dealt with and lived through.

As a bonus, you will also learn all about the various cloud types as you read the story and pour over the front and end papers.

Highly recommended for mature 10+ readers.

[Lois (thecarrotstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book !! Written in a form of a diary from a perspective of an 8 year old Angie, I could literally step into the shoes of a child to see how they see the world and understand how they cope with life.

I enjoyed the friendship written in this book between Angie and Harry. Born two days apart, they are best friends and almost-twins. Both of them love clouds, Harry, cloud spotting and Angie, cloud drawing.

I also love that the author was able to include the story of Olga Morris who was in captured in Singapore when the Japanese invaded the country. It was cool that her letter written in the camp could be included and weaves into the story of Angie and Harry.

Besides that, I also like the representation of child cancer. When Harry falls ill to cancer in his brain, Angie takes a deep plunge emotionally. Her anger as a child was expressed so clearly and I was pained by the experience she had to go through.

I thoroughly enjoyed this children’s book. Thank you Pansing @definitelybooks for sending a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available at all good bookstores.

[Naadhira Zahari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book has taught me so much that deals with life, pain, denial and acceptance. I learned that there are different types of clouds on the sky and there are even names that I would never have knew only if I have read this book. I learned that there were people who suffered in Changi jail, Singapore and they sew and quilt to pass the time. I learn that we must always be there for someone whom we love dearly and stay close to them until the end.

I thought this book would be a light and enjoyable read but I wasn't expecting it to take such a saddening turn. Angie was really brave for his friend, Harry. They dreamt of the future and without any doubt, know that they will always be there for one another, no matter what. Through the letters, Grandma Gertie taught them about the pain that she went through and that life is so much more than what is happening around us.

Sometimes, it takes only a small effort to move mountains. This book did it for me. I went through a journey with the characters as they navigate through the world that sometimes can be harsh but wonderful all the same.

[Jenthe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to get more from reading this story, but I didn't really enjoy the main character's narration. The secondary story of the grandma's experiences in Singapore during the Japanese invasion in 1942 was interesting though.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angie Moon and Harry Christmas are the very bestest, bestest of friends. They were born two days apart in the samehospital, live next door to one another, go to the same school and have been with each other every day. Well nearly.

Angie has been given a diary for a gift and begins to write in it, explaining she’s been given diaries before and she usually writes a couple of pages and then gives up. Not this time. There are lots of cool things to write about, beginning with a tree hut that spans the boundary between their houses, with a ladder in each yard.

Angie and Harry love their new space where Harry can gaze up at the clouds and study them (through their roof windows), and Angie can paint pictures of them, using her imagination to transform them into magical beings and shapes.

Angie’s Grandma comes to stay, and after a visit to a quilt exhibition, (which might sound boring), but includes a special quilt made by young girls in a Japanese prisoner of war camp called Changi. Grandma was one of 2400 people imprisoned by the Japanese, (in a camp designed for only 600), and also one of the quilters.

Harry and Angie are fascinated by her story, and she begins to share letters she’d written whilst in the camp and had hidden from the soldiers until they were freed.

Harry has been getting head aches and Angie can’t understand why he’s spending so much time in bed, and even when he goes to hospital, she’s cross he’s not home to share their tree house and Grandma’s letters. The sicker he gets, the more Angie struggles with time away from her bestest friend.

A story of friendship, illness, understanding and growing up. Angie is bombarded with an endless tumble of emotions. Cloud Boy is also a small window into the lives of the prisoners of the Changi camp in Singapore, and the quilting that kept their spirits up, their monotonous days slightly more bearable, and their thoughts off the constant bottomless hunger.

The Changi letters are in the hand of an 8 year old, and not too daunting for a young reader 8+. They are based loosely on an actual prisoner’s story shared with the author, which we learn more about in the back of the book. The diary structure is easy to read, authentic and sad, but all woven through with the conflicting emotions of a young girl dealing with a close friend’s illness. Beautifully written.

Author – Marcia Williams

Age – 8+

(Friendship, Best mates, Treehut, Tree house, Cubby house, Neighbours, Illness, Sickness, Headaches, Hospital, Love, Family, Changi Prison, Singapore, Prisoners, Quilt, Diary, Loss, Grief)

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Walker Books Australia, for sending me a review copy of this amazing book.

Lately I have found myself reaching for the simplicity of a middle-grade book. And this one blew my mind. I immediately fell in love with the style of the book, it is read from the point of view of Angie's diary and it will sweep you off your feet.

Cloud Boy delicately deals with the idea of terminal illness and what it is like to be a child, going through that process, watching your best friend be taken in and out of hospital. It is moving, thought provoking and real. We see our protagonist, Angie, go through the different stages of greif, of trying to please everyone and on an adventure to the past with her Grandma Gertie. There are so many important lessons within this title.

A not-so-hidden gem within this book is the addition of Grandma Gertie and her letters to her kitten Rosie. Grandma Gertie was a Prisoner of War in Japan, and we learn of her resilliance, her courage and her bravery in that time. What makes it even more magical, other than that aspect being based on fact, is that this resilliance fits perfectly in with the rest of the book, showing that courage can come from the smallest of places, from a smile or a gentle tap on the shoulder.

In large, this book is about courage, resilliance and ovecoming your fears. It is about having the courage to truly love someone in the way that they need you to and being there for them, even when it is scary.

A fantastic read.

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloud Boy is a very special book, filled with friendship, family, love, loss and the gift of memory. Harry and Angie are typical children with a bright and irrepressible friendship history. Their surrounding family builds a warm and loving background for the two to act out their story, full of day-to-day imagination, creativity and life. They are characters and a setting familiar to us all. But it is an emotional story. As Harry is diagnosed with cancer, and his health concerns take precedence over all else, the friendship between the two children is, of course strained. Angie shows all the frustration, confusion and anger you could expect of a child as she tries to come to terms with the events that are not only shattering Harry's life, but hers as well. Grandma Gertie is a very important addition; her quirkiness, her stories from the past as she brings an understanding, compassion, perspective and acceptance to the tale. The story displays the helplessness of both families trying to help and protect their children and the tremendous growth and struggle as the circumstances drift towards the inevitable outcome. But this is not a heavy, depressing story. It is filled with lightness and joy that shines even brighter for the story being told. Real meaning and feeling are brought to light in a gentle wash of prose, written in a diary still with a genuine and fresh voice. Moving, brave, heartfelt and simply wonderful.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cloud Boy by Marcia Williams is written as if it is the diary of Angela Moon. I enjoy this format as it cuts out unnecessary descriptions and allows the story to move at a good pace. The story is written in a fun and engaging way and tells of the adventures Angela has with her best friend, Harry Christmas who is the same age and lives next door. He is fascinated by cloud formations. Early in the story, Angela’s great-grandma, Gertrude, comes to stay as Angela’s mother has recently had a baby and needs some help. She plays a key role in the book.

After about a month of diary entries, Harry becomes unwell and the story takes a sad turn. The reader is never told what is wrong with Harry, but he has an operation and later chemotherapy.

The grief of Harry’s situation is compounded by Gertrude’s story, told through a series of letters, of the time she spent as a young girl in a prisoner-of-war camp. Marcia Williams uses the grandmother’s letters as a way of encouraging resilient and perseverance in Angela and Harry. I don’t think this worked very well because it meant that the reader has to cope with two tragic stories, running parallel through the latter stages of the book.

The book is aimed at primary school children and while the story is well-written and engaging, it’s a very sad story that some children may find upsetting.

Thanks to Christian School Supplier for providing a free book for review.

[watermelonreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a crying mess after reading Cloud Boy. PS thank you Pansing for the ARC!
.
This was a raw and painful read. Marcia Williams did a wonderful job of blending her words to give Angie and Harry very convincing voices. The format of Angie's diary worked really well and it gave a personal touch.
.
One thing that I simply adored was how Williams included memories of her past into the book. The fact that what she experienced was in Singapore made it really close to home. She went through a tough and agonizing period. It was heart-rending reading all about it. I am proud that she is able to tell her story and at the same time bring awareness to younger children of that bit of WW2 that happened in Singapore.
.
Coming into this book, I expected a totally easy read. However, that was not the case. Cloud Boy showed me that life is tough but despite the struggles that you face, you can always choose hope instead of giving it up. The story of Angie and Harry illustrated that message perfectly. I hope that one day both Angie and Harry are able to meet again as glider pilots and surf the Morning Glory!

[Ellie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times hillarious and at others upsetting and hardhitting. Cloud Boy is told through the diary entries of Angie Moon, as she and her inseparable best friend Harry spend long days filled with play and cloud spotting. Interrupted by illness, Williams delves into the mind of a child coming to terms with a friend who is no longer able to live the life that they are used to. This is a story fraught with internal dilemma; trying to understand what a good friend should do and make a path through emotions and circumstances that are beyond control.
Williams does well in depicting a narrator that is often in conflict with herself, her family and the reader. I found myself really emphathising with Angie and her often frustrating, understandble stream of thoughts and actions, as she tries to do what is right for herself and her friend. A story which should not be shyed away from with children who are capable of navigating a sensitive subject matter. Seeing illness through the eyes of another child is something that could really comfort young readers. Particularly thorough the fact that another person also sees the unfairness of the change and upset that comes with illness.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, told from Angie's diary, she discusses how life is for her and Harry her best friend who suddenly is very ill in hospital with a poorly head, we gather he has a brain tumour.



In her diary she writes how her grandma was brave, surviving a war, sewing memory quilts and so Harry's favourite thing is clouds, she designs him a quilt related to clouds.



Angie and Harry are like twins stock together like glue, so when Harry has an operation, things change and Angie has to adapt including their shared space, Artcloud they both love as it becomes a sad place for either to be without the other.



I found the first quarter of the book very slow to start, however once Harry became ill the action gripped me in more As the characters went on a life changing journey that was heartbreaking and moving.

[Unicornsleepybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book yesterday and simply couldn’t put it down, I loved the layout as it is in the form of a simple secret diary of a troubled and lonely girl, dealing with the illness and eventual death of her almost-twin Harry Christmas, the cloud geek. I enjoyed this book and finished it today, the ending is so sad and thought-provoking and I love the way Marcia Williams incorporates the historical letters to kitten Rosie from changi prison, I love the quilt idea and the way Angie adds the chopped up pieces of notebook and memories to it. This book is perfect for girls and boys age 9+, the sad ending doesn’t make it a miserable books as there are a lot of light-hearted, funny moments as well.

[Fiona Mackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angie and Harry are almost-twins, born two days apart and are best friends too. Angie gets hassled by other girls about this, but ignores it. Their families have built a joint treehouse between their houses and they share Artcloud which represents both of them.
Angie’s great-grandmother Gertrude comes to stay as she was in Changi Prison camp in WW2 and the quilt she helped to make is being exhibited. (This is based on real experiences.)
But Harry gets headaches and is hospitalized and a lovely friendship is jeopardized.
Harry and Angie’s age isn’t stated but they feel somewhere between 9-11, so learner support secondary readers would be able to read it for 1.10 too. Lots of grief in this diary format.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you Pansing for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love this one. Contemporary children books have really surprised me this year. I adore how innocent and naive our main character is as a friend to Harry, who's always in and out from the hospital. Yet she is also showing how she's entitled to feel frustrated and she does understand what's happening to her best friend.

I also love the concept of them revisiting Grandma Gertie's past through her letters. Her stories just really touched my heart and because it was inspired from a true incident, it made this book extra special.

[Bookgirl888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sobbing. Really sobbing and sniffing. I don't think I've cried this hard for a whole (and I cry at lots of things!). But wow! The emotion and rollercoaster ride that I went on was incredible.

Harry and Angie have the most lovely friendship, and then Harry gets sick and Angie has to be on her own at times. She pours out her heart to her diary and, sometimes wrongly, tries to take matters into her own hands. She is young and just wants things to stay the same and doesn't know how to navigate these new feelings. 

An absolutely stunning story, but one that will leave you broken for a while. 

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Spoiler Alert***
Anger often comes out when grieving, something that is vividly - and so really - depicted in this novel.
Angie, the first person narrator in this diary format story, runs the gamut of emotions as her best friend and nearly-twin, Harry gradually succumbs to illness. (Although not stated, it seems to be a brain tumour.)
Threaded through their story is that of Angie's great-grandmother and her time spent in Changi prison during World War Two, in the Japanese occupation of Singapore.

[Isla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short yet compelling read, Marcia Williams' Cloud Boy takes the form of protagonist Angie's diary as she comes to terms with the sudden illness of her best friend, Harry. Interspersed throughout are readings of her Grandmother's letters, written whilst she was a child prisoner in the World War II Changi prison camp in Singapore. With similar emotional beats of friendship, grief and the memories we leave behind, these intertwined stories present a moving tale that would be suitable to read with older primary-aged children in Years 5 or 6.

[Callum Whalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, heartbreaking story of two of the closest friends imaginable. In a year where things have not been easy, it is easy to resonate with Angie, by relishing life's small things. I thought the way history was portrayed parallel throughout the novel provided real substance and injected a hint of realism into the book. An upsetting, but remarkable book that is a good avenue to explore themes of grief, friendship, families, and much more.

[Khadagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my 12yo son. We enjoyed the book well enough, it sparked a few conversations about the topics surrounding the story. I enjoyed the parallel story of the old letters from grandma, my son found them a bit boring. Thie book is quite short, the chapters are short in the form of diary entries. It got a bit on our nerves that the girl constantly went between feeling great to feeling angry. The constant extremes were sometimes a bit much. The end is very touching.

[idreamofallthebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast and enjoyable read that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page!

The friendship between Angie and Harry was beautiful and sweet. Their adventures together were the perfect backdrop for the more serious themes that Williams wove within the story. I particularly enjoyed how their tree house was the perfect escape for the realities of the world, and how it represented the need for privacy in times of intense emotional situations.

One of the most standout parts of the story was how the seriousness of terminal illness was reflected through the innocence reactions of a child. It showed how the emotions of a child are just as raw as those of an adult, and that their feelings are just as powerful. The exploration of loss and grief is a necessary one, as everyone, no matter their age, will one day have to experience this for themselves.

Thank you @walkerbooksaus for gifting me a copy to review!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a girl and her best friend (almost twin) told in diary format. The swinging emotions while trying to understand what is happening in the world around her and to her friend come out really clearly in the story (I had to remind myself as an adult that that was exactly what I was like).

[Demi Spelbos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the clouds always reflected what was going to happen in the upcoming chapter. This story of dealing with difficult times and grief as a child was beautifully written and felt extremely authentic.
I also really enjoyed the parts where the grandmother would read letters from the war. I would absolutely recommend people to read it.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming, this is a story that will stay with you for a long time. It's fantastically written and touching without going too far. I hope this book does well; it would be great in schools.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book, this was because I felt like over the period of time in which you are reading the book, you could build a strong relationship with the characters and that helped you build the image in your head.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely gorgeous. I laughed while reading it (and I certainly cried, too!). While this is a fast read, it's also an emotional one, filled to the brim with characters you can't help but care about. I thought Williams did a brilliant job of showing the complexity of emotions when dealing with a sick friend - I loved Angie's spirit, her support of Harry (and her anger, too). Definitely a book I will be recommending to younger readers!

[Laura Geater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read with a lasting effect. Angie's best friend is ill, really ill and Angie doesn't know how to feel about. Written in a diary format Marcia Williams brings a fresh perspective full of emotion and empathy.