Parallel stories set in different times, one told in prose and one in pictures, converge as a girl unravels the mystery of the abandoned Thornhill Institute next door.
 1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.
 2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.
Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines―Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art―Pam Smy’s Thornhill is a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2017 A New York City Public Library Notable Best Book for Kids A 2018 ALSC Notable Children's Book A VOYA Top of the Shelf Pick

Thornhill

Children's Books

Smy, Pam

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Roaring Brook Press

Merrylegs

David Fickling Books

Literature & Fiction

The wonderful long-awaited second novel from Pam Smy, the celebrated author and&nbsp;illustrator of Thornhill. Covering themes of families, childhood, domestic violence, being separated and reunited, this is an important and beautifully illustrated book for middle grade readers right up to adults. 'The Hideaway by Pam Smy is a work of art. Smy is the genius writer and illustrator of the stunning Thornhill. Smy takes children's books to another level. Highly recommend.'&nbsp; - David Walliams &nbsp; The wonderful long-awaited second novel from Pam Smy, celebrated author and&nbsp;illustrator of Thornhill. The Hideaway tells the story of a boy, Billy McKenna, who runs away from a difficult situation at home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard. While hiding there he meets an elderly man who is tending the graves in preparation for a day in November when something magical is set to happen. The book is written in two alternating narratives, both different aspects of the same story. One thread tells of Billy's experience of hiding away in the graveyard, his mixed-up feelings and emotions, and the supernatural events he eventually witnesses. The other tells of his mother's situation at home and the police search for Billy. Covering themes of family, childhood, separation and reunion, domestic violence and doing the right thing, this is an important and beautiful book for middle grade readers right up to adults. Billy's story is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings, until the event on All Souls' Eve, when the text gives way to a series of double page images of the supernatural happening. The Hideaway is a compelling, exciting and emotional story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

The Hideaway

Teen & Young Adult

Pavilion Children’s Books

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Books by Smy, Pam