I Am Reading: Tadpole Summer by Catherine Bruton
Tadpole Summer by Catherine Bruton 👉
| Publisher: | Nosy Crow |
|---|---|
| Publish date: | 07 May 2025 |
Catherine Bruton (No Ballet Shoes In Syria, Bird Boy) never shies away from hard topics. But this book touches on something devastating – the loss, at a tragically young age, of a sibling. The fact that she manages to tell this story in an accessible, engaging, even beautiful way, is a miracle.
Frances, known as Frog, has always known that her brother Tad (Tadpole) is unwell. He has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and as he gets older, his condition becomes worse. Tad's spirit is undaunted, and the two of them do everything together. But this summer, Tad has to go to hospital, and Frog knows things are worse than they've ever been. She tries to be the reliable older sister, bottling her feelings and worries. She retreats to the garden, where she and Tad have spent so many happy days, and camps out there for the summer. Nature unfurls around her as she starts to face the terrible truth of what is coming.
There are two stories here; Frog and Tadpole, their wonderful relationship, and the terrible effects of his illness, but also the wonder of the natural world. Every year they collect frog spawn and watch as they develop into tadpoles, then froglets, then frogs, before releasing them back into their pond. They are determined to do it again this year, and the depiction of their natural environment is beautiful. But this is not a cosy story. Frog is a glass child, a sibling of someone with a terminal illness. She hides her worries and fears, but they come out at broken moments. Her schooldays are a blur. She struggles to relate to other children. As Tad's condition deteriorates, and her odd neighbour Ari bluntly points out his survival chances, Frog panics.
It is a wonder that, with a story so devestating, Catherine Bruton manages to keep things accessible and engaging. Short chapters and straightforward text make this deceptively easy to read, and you are pulled along with Frog and Tad, hoping like Frog does that something, something will change. There are victories, but also losses. And in the end, in the last few chapters, perhaps there is a way to accept things.
There are so many other strands – their Grandfather's kind support, their parent's overwhelming grief and worry, Frog's friends, the clever but unusual neighbour Ari – and each is woven into the novel so deftly that you hardly notice, but feel the weight of them within the story. I'm lucky enough to have read a lot of brilliant middle-grade fiction, but even amongst those excellent books, this stands out. It should be on every shortlist going. Read it, have a little cry, and then marvel a what a wonder Catherine Bruton has created.
Many thanks to Nosy Crow for sending me a copy of this book.