Giant by Nicola Skinner (Hardcover)

From critically acclaimed author Nicola Skinner, her most brilliant book yet a darkly comic story about staying true to yourself and the people you love, even if it means tearing everything down . . .

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with Minnies island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis.

Luckily, the islands inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, shell kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And theres nothing wrong with that either . . . or so Minnie thinks.

But when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises shes not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant not forever not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant . . . and ultimately herself.