The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks (Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks #1)

by Emily Kenny (Author)

What if you could talk to animals?

Alice Tonks desperately wants to make friends at boarding school but, being autistic, she's always found it hard to fit in. Then she discovers she is a "switcher" and can talk to animals.

As she starts to explore her newfound abilities, to her horror she learns that creatures are going missing. Only Alice holds the key to solving the mystery and finding the culprit, but she'll need to harness her full powers first. And to do that she'll need a bit of help from her new friends--both human and animal.

A story about finding your voice, friendship, and unlikely heroes, for fans of A Kind of Spark

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Publishers Weekly

Autistic 11-year-old Alice Tonks, who's been raised by her grandmother since her parents disappeared while vacationing in the Amazon, is ready to hate her time as a legacy student at fancy Pebblewood School. She's certain that she'll be friendless among the other year sevens, and even the teachers will think she's "weird." But encountering a talking, saluting seagull piques her curiosity, especially when it addresses her by name. Warning Alice that they live in "perilous times," the seagull reveals that animals are going missing in the school's seaside town, Pebblehampton, and they need her help. Alice, it turns out, is a "Switcher"--someone with an affinity for animals and an ability to communicate with them. Switchers pledge to serve animals foremost, a task well-suited to empathetic Alice. Witty dialogue seasons the page-turning plot as Alice seeks to find and stop whatever is disappearing the animals, all while settling into the cozily appointed school, navigating her sensory sensitivities, and contending with bullies and interpersonal drama. Autistic author Kenny draws Alice's experiences candidly and with nuance, while a self-accepting protagonist, clever conundrums, and an abundance of personality-packed talking animals give this boarding school mystery a classic feel. Ages 8-12. Agent: Lauren Gardner, Bell Lomax Moreton. (Feb.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7--When a seagull speaks to her on the Welcome Day of her new boarding school after she has embarrassed herself yelling at her grandmother, autistic Alice knows that something is up. This is a conventional British fantasy with all the usual boarding school ingredients. The animals who speak to Alice are a fun factor, but the smarmy headmaster, whose princesslike daughter is Alice's roommate, plus mean girls and a friend who is an outcast, are routine. Timothy Crossley-Herbert the Third is Black, with family problems he wants to keep hidden. He is also supposedly musical, though that is only something readers are told and never glimpse. Alice's neurodivergence is most often brought up when she is pressured to conform to neurotypical expectations. VERDICT Combined with the witchy housemistress, odd teachers, multitude of sweet treats, the variety of creatures who talk to her, and Alice's gradual discovery of her heritage, this will be great fodder for readers who like their adventures cushioned by wish fulfillment in the boarding school fantasy novel genre.--Carol A. Edwards

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

'Shades of Enid Blyton and Harry Potter and a fresh, wonderful magic of its very own. Twists, turns, friends, animals and a brilliant autistic heroine called Alice Tonks. Set in a boarding school by the sea!'—Nicola Penfold, author of Where the World Turns Wild
Emily Kenny
Like Alice, Emily Kenny is autistic and wanted to write her debut novel about an autistic child protagonist. Emily studied English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, completed the MA in Children's Literature at Roehampton University, and was part of the Spark Mentor scheme with WriteMentor. Emily works as a secondary school English teacher and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, and lives in London.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780861542079
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Rock the Boat
Publication date
February 14, 2023
Series
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Mystery and detective stories
Fantasy
Boarding schools
Autistic children
Human-animal communication
Novels
Adriene Prize
Long Listed 2022

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