Captivating, memorable and deeply funny, Thunderhead is a heart-squeezing and hopeful illustrated middle grade novel about music, disability, friendship and fandom - beautifully told with humour, art and joy. Perfect for fans of Wonder and Lenny's Book of Everything.
When I listen to music it speaks to me, fills up my soul until I'm bursting with the rainbow-sprinkled, breathless, blush-red joy of being ALIVE.
Meet Thunderhead: awkward, music-obsessed and a magnet for bad luck. Their favourite things in life are listening to records and hanging out with their best (and only) friend Moonflower. But Thunderhead has a big secret. And when Moonflower moves schools, they're faced with the reality of surviving the wilderness of high school alone. Make new friends? NOTHANKYOUVERYMUCH. As two big life events approach, Thunderhead posts playlists and heartfelt diary entries as an outlet to try to make sense of their changing world, to try to calm the storm brewing in their brain and to try to find the courage to unfurl their heart.
Drawing on Sophie Beer's own experience of hearing loss, this indelible illustrated middle grade novel about music, disability, friendship and fandom is immediately engaging, utterly authentic and entirely unputdownable.
'I gobbled up this amazing book in two sittings. Thunderhead is my new hero: so smart, funny and true. What a good soul. This beautiful and important story deals with so much and is so heartfelt. An absolute cracker of a story.' Karen Foxlee, award-winning author of Dragon Skin and Lenny's Book of Everything
'I loved it! A tuneful and tender story ... Australia's answer to Wonder by RJ Palacio.' Danielle Binks, bestselling author of The Year the Maps Changed
'Thunderous applause for this book!' Remy Lai, award-winning creator of Ghost Book
'I love how Thunderhead pulls no punches, takes the reader's heart out and wrings it dry, but is ultimately full of hope and joy, friendships and family.' Bren MacDibble, bestselling author of The Raven's Song
'A poignant and personal story that sings with originality, humour and heart. I adored this book.' Pip Harry, award-winning author of August & Jones
'Thunderhead is a triumph: an intelligent, funny and heart-twisting story, told by a character that readers will love.' Peter Carnavas, award-winning author of My Brother Ben
'A spectacular book with an irresistible voice, packed with originality and glorious quirks.' Kate Foster, award-winning author of The Bravest Word
'I'm such a big fan of Sophie Beer! Thunderhead is a skilfully crafted character, brought to life by Sophie's flamboyant, energetic prose.' Anna Zobel, creator of This Camp Is Doomed
About the Author
Sophie Beer is an award-winning author/illustrator living in Brisbane. She rejoices in creating bright, funny books that centre equality, inclusion and kindness. Her books including Love Makes a Family have been printed all over the world in many languages and have sold close to one million copies. As an illustrator, she has worked with the likes of Disney, Google, The Guardian and The Boston Globe. As a writer, her work has appeared in Frankie Magazine and The Big Issue. When she's not illustrating and writing, she thinks a lot about plants, animals, music, books, equality and Aldi choc-chip biscuits. In 2016, Sophie was diagnosed with and underwent surgery for an acoustic neuroma, a brain tumour that affects balance, the facial nerve and hearing, and she is subsequently hard of hearing. Thunderhead, her first novel, was inspired by this transformative event.
Industry Reviews
'Sophie Beer packs a lot into this warm-hearted novel, with an empathetic execution comparable to Jacqueline Wilson. Inspired by her own experience with a brain tumour that resulted in hearing loss, Beer was motivated to write the novel to contribute to better representation of disability, D/deafness and tumours in Australian children's literature. Each chapter includes an awesome playlist of songs from a range of genres and generations. Thunderhead will suit readers aged 10+ who enjoyed Penny Tangey's As Fast as I Can and are looking for a step up into high school - or for a story that deeply understands music and disability.' Books+Publishing
'I gobbled up this amazing book in two sittings. Thunderhead is my new hero: so smart, funny and true. What a good soul. This beautiful and important story deals with so much and is so heartfelt. It's a tender and real exploration of illness and disability. An absolute cracker of a story.' Karen Foxlee, multi-award-winning author of Dragon Skin and Lenny's Book of Everything
'Thunderhead introduces a new generation of readers to Sophie Beer's storytelling genius. This book is straight-up magic. A poignant and personal story that sings with originality, humour and heart. I adored it.' Pip Harry, award-winning author of August & Jones
'Sophie Beer's middle-grade debut is a tuneful and tender story, Australia's answer to Wonder by RJ Palacio - and likely to be as big a hit! At once hilarious and heartfelt, it's about a young person battling illness, then adjusting to acquired-Disability and learning to love what their body can do, and what it has overcome. Narrated by a wonderfully funny and resilient kid, and featuring delightful accompanying illustrations, this is one to press into every young person's hands. An entertaining and affirming read. I LOVED IT!' Danielle Binks, bestselling author of The Year the Maps Changed
'Thunderhead will drag you onto a roller-coaster of emotions, run you through a gauntlet of transitions and ultimately bathe you in joy. Young readers will adore Beer's mixed media of music and imagery as well as striking narrative, and the ending is absolutely divine!' Bren MacDibble, bestselling author of The Raven's Song
'What a spectacular book! Such an essential addition to children's bookshelves everywhere, but also quite simply a fantastic and addictive read. An irresistible voice, packed with originality and glorious quirks. Thunderhead is the representation we need right now.' Kate Foster, award-winning author of The Bravest Word
'I'm such a big fan of Sophie Beer! In her debut novel Thunderhead, she has skilfully crafted a character who has a medical condition. At no point is Thunderhead ever flattened or reduced to a sick child, or PWSK (Poor Widdle Sick Kid); they are brought to life by Sophie's flamboyant, energetic prose. Sophie makes apparent the fact that children - even sick ones - lead full and complicated lives, replete with passions, anxieties and important relationships.' Anna Zobel, creator of This Camp Is Doomed
