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{{infobox infobox1
|title=Rook
|author=Anthony McGowan
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|date=June 2017
|isbn=1781127239
|video=vo4oJgnh450
|cover=McGowan_Rook
|aznuk=1781127239
|aznus=1781127239
}}
'''Shortlisted for the 2018 CILIP Carnegie Medal'''
When Nicky and his learning-disabled brother Kenny come across a rook being attacked by a sparrowhawk, they chase off the raptor and rescue the rook.Kenny is convinced that a good dollop of love and affection is all that's needed to keep the bird alive but Nicky is sceptical. And in any case, Nicky has other things to worry about, like avoiding the bully at school and finding a way to talk to the girl he likes. In the previous two books in this sequence, troubles were dogging Kenny and the boys' father but in ''Rook'' it's Nicky who could do with a helping hand. Things are about to go wrong. Will Nicky find a way through?
Lovely, lovely, lovely.
Now for the technicalities. ''Rook'' is part of Barrington Stoke's super-readable range. This means it's dyslexia friendly and suitable for readers who like a stonking good story but are reluctant to get bogged down in books the size of a brick. It's printed on thick, non-glare paper in a specially designed font which makes life easier for dyslexic readers. And while the themes and story line are meant for teenagers, the reading age suits anyone of 9 and above. What you get is a wonderful read in which every word counts. I'd also like to congratulate Barrington Stoke on the way they commission some of our best writers for young people to write impactful, serious , ''literary'' stories that are accessible to all. It matters.
''Rook'' is a satisfying and meaningful conclusion to a fabulous sequence and I can't recommend it highly enough.
