The family on the other side of my street

From Onjali Q. Rauf, author of The Boy at the Back of the Class, comes another incredible story, told with humour and heart. Touching on the challenges navigated by children caring for loved ones at home, this story brings into focus their hardships and worries, alongside the unexpected, invisible sources of kindness which can change their lives.

10-year-old Audrey has a secret. A secret no one – not her friends, her teachers, not even her neighbours – knows about. And to keep it hidden she has become one of the best actresses on the planet. As soon as she steps out of the front door, the show is on, and all the world becomes her stage! No-one would ever guess that she is a nurse and doctor for her mam, the family food shopper (and sometimes shoplifter), a medicines collector, and even bedtime-reader for her younger siblings.

But when Audrey’s mam gets sicker, things go from difficult to impossible. If Mam’s condition doesn’t improve, there’s a chance the family will be separated. And so Audrey becomes determined to find a way of to get her mam the best treatment available, so that they won’t ever need to be apart. The only problem is, the treatment will cost her thousands. Thousands that Audrey doesn’t have.

As Audrey sets about trying to make her dream for her family come true with a plan that involves her precious stamp collection, an unsuspecting postal system, and a journey all the way from Wales to London, someone else on the street embarks on a secret mission of their own. One that will alter Audrey’s life – and that of her family – forever.