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Synopsis

Cool! by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo's inspiring new story of Robbie, a boy in a coma -- victim of a car accident. Locked inside his own head, able to hear but not move or speak, Robbie tries to keep himself from slipping ever deeper into unconsciousness.

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Reviews

Michael Morpurgo is one of today's most highly acclaimed children's authors. His works cover the whole gamut of young people's experience, from Arthurian fantasy to the foot-and-mouth crisis. This brief novel belongs in a class of its own. A mere hundred or so pages long, it's is a masterpiece of compassion, and the young hero, fighting for his life in a Devon hospital, is an inspiration to every child facing a time of crisis. Robbie Ainsley is just 10 when he is knocked down by a car as he attempts to rescue his dog, Lucky. He is rushed to hospital, but remains in a coma, unable to speak, move or see. However, he still has some of his senses - hearing, touch and smell - as well as a quicksilver mind, and this is Robbie's story of his life as experienced from his hospital bed. He imagines what his nurse looks like; he recalls the sensation of his Gran's powdery cheek against his own; he can smell his Mum's perfume; he listens avidly to the recorded voices of his classmates. But as the days and weeks pass by, Robbie shows no signs of recovery, and slips deeper into unconsciousness. His favourite Chelsea footballer visits him; the remorseful car driver travels down from Scotland to sit by his bed; yet no one seems able to trigger a response. As Robbie drifts into a deepening coma, those dearest to him are drawing nearer to each other in their distress. His parents decide to give their shaky marriage another go, and for much of the book this seems to be what Robbie has wanted above anything. Perhaps this can be the turning point - for if it can't drag him back from the brink of death, what can? Despite the humorous tone this is a deeply affecting novel, and one which could be used in many classrooms to great effect. Robbie faces despair, misery and frustration, yet his determination to get better keeps him going, however wretched he feels. The adults in this story all have something to learn from Robbie's example, and his experience has a powerful influence on all their lives. Ages 8+ (Kirkus UK)

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About The Author

Michael Morpurgo was our Guest Editor in June 2010. Click here to see the books that inspired his writing.

Michael Morpurgo has written over one hundred books and won many awards. In 1976 Michael and his wife Clare started the charity Farms For City Children, which aims to relieve the poverty of experience of young children from inner city and urban areas. In 1999 they were awarded the MBE for their work in creating these farms and in 2006 Michael received an OBE.

His novel War Horse has been adapted into a hugely successful and critically acclaimed West End play and a film directed by Steven Spielberg. Michael is a tireless champion for children’s books and was formerly the Children’s Laureate. Loved by children, teachers and parents alike, Michael Morpurgo has won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times. 

Anthony Horowitz on Michael Morpurgo:

'Michael Morpurgo is the most solid, classical of children's authors. He sits outside the series-driven blockbusters so beloved of publishers nowadays: he hasn't created a Harry Potter or an Alex Rider – and I admire him for resisting that. We are opposite sides of the same coin and, although his work has never influenced mine, I admire the eloquent, considered voice of his best books. He has an unerring moral compass – his schoolteacher past has never quite left him – and books such as War Horse and The Butterfly Lion have a strong social concience and an honesty that makes them universal.' (The Guardian)

Why not CLICK HERE to take a peek at Michael’s 10 Rules for Writing.

or Click here to read a Q&A with the author from top children's publisher Egmont.

Michael is the inaugural President of the Historical Writers Association starting from Autumn 2011. The Historical Writers' Association (www.thehwa.co.uk) will celebrate its first anniversary in October.  It was founded to bring social and professional support to writers of historical fiction and non-fiction, publishers, agents and booksellers, all bound both by their common interest in historical books and by the sense of community that comes from a shared obsession.

Since its creation, the Historical Writers' Association has launched the first Festival of Historical Writing in association with English Heritage as part of their Festival of History at Kelmarsh in Northamptonshire this July. In September, a partnership was announced with Goldsboro Books to launch a new literary prize, the HWA/Goldsboro Crown for Debut Historical Fiction, the first of which will be presented at Goldsboro's History in the Court Festival next year on 27th September 2012.

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