Feather

When Huw's nan calls him Johnny - the name of her never-mentioned brother who disappeared in WWll, he realises things are changing. As Nan slips into dementia, Huw begins to discover things about his family past that he never could have imagined. Huw always pops in to see his nan on the way home from school – she bakes him cakes and never fusses about his homework. So it’s a great shock when, one day, Nan forgets his name, and calls him Johnny – the long-unmentionable name of her late brother. As Nan slowly slips into the grip of dementia, Huw and his friends go on a quest to learn more about Johnny and what happened to him. Exploring themes of friendship, family bonds and the history of conscientious objection in WW2, Feather is both modern and historical, as well as being relatable, particularly for children who may have grandparents with a similar dementia struggle to nan. Aimed at ages 9-14, the original Welsh edition, Pluen won the Tir na n-Og Award Wales children’s fiction Award in 2017.