{"title":"Books by Brian Conaghan","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781408878880","title":"We Come Apart","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award, Children’s category\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYA stars Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan join forces to break readers' hearts in this contemporary story of star-cross'd lovers. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJess would never have looked twice at Nicu if her friends hadn't left her in the lurch. Nicu is all big eyes and ill-fitting clothes, eager as a puppy, even when they're picking up litter in the park for community service. He's so not her type. Appearances matter to Jess. She's got a lot to hide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNicu thinks Jess is beautiful. His dad brought Nicu and his mum here for a better life, but now all they talk about is going back home to find Nicu a wife. The last thing Nicu wants is to get married. He wants to get educated, do better, stay here in England. But his dad's fists are the most powerful force in Nicu's life, and in the end, he'll have to do what his dad wants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Nicu and Jess get closer, their secrets come to the surface like bruises. The only safe place they have is with each other. But they can't be together, forever, and stay safe – can they?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn extraordinary, high-impact, high-emotion collaboration between two stars of YA. Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Malorie Blackman, Rainbow Rowell and John Green.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204385996978,"sku":"9781408878880","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408878880.jpg?v=1786019274"},{"product_id":"9781408871546","title":"The Weight of a Thousand Feathers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS TEEN \u0026amp; YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE CBI BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAngry, stirring and tender,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e this is a bold, questioning exploration of the lengths to which we’ll go for the people we love. From the Costa Children’s Book Award winning author of\u003c\/i\u003e When Mr Dog Bites \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e The Bombs That Brought Us Together\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBobby Seed has questions. \u003ci\u003eWhat’s another word for ‘thesaurus’? How can I tell Bel I want her as my girl friend, not my girlfriend? How much pain is Mum in today? Has she taken her pills? \u003c\/i\u003eAnd sometimes, secretly,\u003ci\u003e Why us?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eBobby’s little brother Danny has questions too.\u003ci\u003e Will Bobby let him have Rice Krispies for dinner? And can he stay up late on the computer? And why won’t Mum’s stupid illness just GO AWAY?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eBut it’s Mum’s question for Bobby that could turn everything on its head. It’s the Big One. The Unthinkable One. If Bobby agrees, he won’t just be soothing her pain. 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Could he?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerfect for readers of Patrick Ness and Malorie Blackman.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43206124667058,"sku":"9781408871546","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408871546_ec507814-94d8-4d63-9a60-90d349824797.jpg?v=1786019214"},{"product_id":"9781526653987","title":"Stealing Happy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLoan shark Chick Lennon is notorious around Sonny Gilmour's way, and not for anything good. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo when Sonny discovers his mum has borrowed money from Chick to pay the rent, he finds himself in need of the quickest of get-rich-quick schemes. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the help of best mate Jonah and quiet genius Carolina Swift, he hatches a plot – to pay back what Mum owes using Chick's own ill-gotten gains. It's not a fool-proof plan, and it's not helped by Sonny's Tourette's making him blurt out 'ROB CHICK LENNON!' at the top of his lungs every time things get dicey. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut with his dad suffering from long Covid and his mum already struggling to cope, Sonny knows it's down to him to keep his family out of Chick's clutches ...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn authentic, funny and heartfelt contemporary YA by multi-award-winning author, Brian Conaghan. Perfect for fans of Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Elle McNicoll\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54926240973173,"sku":"9781526653987","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526653987_7af774c5-cdca-4749-a9af-c87f45414dfa.jpg?v=1786022343"},{"product_id":"9781408843017","title":"When Mr Dog Bites","description":"\u003cp\u003eDylan Mint has Tourette’s. His life is a constant battle to keep the bad stuff in – the swearing, the tics, the howling dog that seems to escape whenever he gets stressed. But a routine visit to the hospital changes everything. Overhearing a hushed conversation between the doctor and his mum, Dylan discovers that he’s going to die in March. So he makes a list of things he must do before he dies: first, he wants to have real sex with gorgeous Michelle Malloy; second, he’s got to find his autistic best friend Amir a new best bud; third, he’s got to get his dad back home from the army so they can say goodbye properly. It’s not a long list, but it’s ambitious, and he doesn’t have much time. Sometimes you’ve just got to go for it – no holding back – and see what happens . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrian Conaghan makes you travel every step of the way in Dylan’s shoes, laughing and crying – often at the same time – as Dylan faces the twists and turns of an unfair world with glorious optimism and wit, raising important questions of inclusion, marginalisation and neurodiversity with sensitivity and insight. This barnstorming debut was shortlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal, and Brian has gone on to write many stunning, award-winning novels for teens and younger readers, including the Costa-winning \u003ci\u003eThe Bombs that Brought Us Together\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298940465525,"sku":"9781408843017","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408843017_b0382b7e-6095-4751-a713-94ad195d2309.jpg?v=1786019880"},{"product_id":"9781408871577","title":"The M Word","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMoya. The M Word. Whisper it. Conceal it. But please, never mention it ...\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Maggie Yates talks to her best mate Moya every day. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She tells her about Maggie's mum losing her job. She tells her that Mum's taken to not opening the curtains and crying in secret. And she tells her about how she plans to cheer Mum up – find her a fella with a bit of cash to splash. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Moya is with her every step of the way. \u003ci\u003eYou're surfing a rainbow if you think someone like that exists round here\u003c\/i\u003e, she smiles. \u003ci\u003eBut I'll help.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But at the back of her mind Maggie knows that Mum's crying is more than sadness. That there are no easy fixes. And that Moya's not really there. 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