Windrush Child: A Moving Tale of the Windrush Generation by Benjamin Zephaniah - Ages 9-12 - Paperback

Details:. Condition: BRAND NEW. Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9780702302725. Publisher: Scholastic. Age Range: 9-12. Overview:. Windrush Child is a powerful, moving novel by celebrated poet and author Benjamin Zephaniah, part of Scholastic's acclaimed Voices series exploring untold stories from Britain's past. Written for readers aged 9-12, it follows ten-year-old Leonard as he leaves Jamaica to join his father in 1950s England, confronting cold weather, unfamiliar food, and painful racism. Blending historical fact with warmth and hope, this paperback offers young readers an accessible, unforgettable introduction to the Windrush generation's real experience.. About the Book:. Leonard's story begins in Maroon Town, Jamaica, where hummingbirds visit the garden and life feels safe and familiar. Everything changes when he boards the Empire Windrush with his mother to join a father he barely remembers in Southampton. England is grey, cold, and strange: the food doesn't taste right, his father feels like a stranger, and school brings bullying and racism that Zephaniah portrays with unflinching honesty. Yet Leonard's determination to fit in, make friends, and build a new life shines through every page, carrying the story from the 1950s up to the present day, where Leonard, now grown, faces fresh injustice as one of the Windrush generation whose right to remain in Britain was later questioned. As the fifth title in Scholastic's Voices series, the book stands entirely on its own as a moving, character-driven read. Zephaniah, who lived through similar experiences of migration and prejudice, brings authenticity to every scene, balancing hard truths with humour, warmth, and hope. Teachers and parents praise the novel for opening honest conversations about migration, identity, racism, and belonging in age-appropriate, never preachy language. It is both a gripping personal journey and a valuable piece of social history, ideal for independent reading, class novels, or family discussion