The Boy Who Couldn't

by Rachel Coverdale

The school bully is the only one who can save them.
James’ life has been turned upside down and now the local bully has made him a target. So why would his mother insist he should invite him over? Especially when they’re hiding a secret badger clan at the bottom of the garden.

Now the badgers are under threat from a gang with fighting dogs and the badgers aren’t the only ones in peril.

Danger is approaching and it will make the most unlikely of heroes.

A story about becoming the person you can be, not the person you are expected to be.

157 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2022

About the author

Rachel Coverdale was born and bred in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside in North East England. Raised with copious amounts of animals but without the distraction of a modern TV set, she turned to books and her own imagination for entertainment. Animals were and still are a huge part of her life and inevitably they made their way into her stories. Believing strongly in fresh air, nature and outdoor play to give children a sense of fun and freedom, Rachel uses her books to encourage children to connect with nature and venture into the countryside.

Having taught as an English teacher for many years and now settled happily into the role of school librarian, Rachel ensures all her books are not only creative, imaginative and exciting, but also of great educational benefit. Teaching resources and a scheme of work are available for "The Boy Who Couldn't".

Rachel is regularly featured on BBC Radio Tees Book Hour discussing and reviewing her latest reads. She also travels her native North East England paying visits to Primary and Secondary schools, giving talks on her books and about the importance of nature and the environment they live in.

You can follow Rachel on Bookbub to keep up with the latest releases: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/r-cov...

Reviews

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two boys from very different backgrounds are drawn together with their love of animals.

Greg is the school bully, woe betide you if you upset him or get on the wrong side of him. But peel back the layers and you’ll find inside this angry young lad is a lonely, neglected kid whose only solace is visiting the peace of the woods and befriending the animals.

Meanwhile James and his dad are badger mad. They are desperate to try and observe a local sett of badgers, so when James’ dad finds Greg in the woods he pushes the boys into a forced companionship, despite James having detested Greg and his bullying ways for a long time. However slowly, the ice between then thaws.

Until one night something happens in the woods, an event which will cause the rift to reopen and the boys to fight for their lives.

Page turning and exhilarating, this is a corker of a read. I’ve already read, The Boy Who Dared (also brilliant) which focuses on Greg, James & their friend Ahmed. This is the story of how their friendship began. While you don’t necessarily need to read them in order this is a great one to start with.

I read this with my almost 12 year old son & he LOVED it. He’s not a massive reader but gets rewards from school if he does. Anyway halfway through this one he paused and announced, ‘this is a really good book mum’.

I can’t give finer praise than that.

[Chris Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the dual narrative of this compelling story. Two boys from different backgrounds tell their own version of events in their own genuine voice. A wonderful story of friendship in unexpected places told with heaps of heart. Great stuff.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this action adventure story aimed for 8 to 12 years we follow two very different boys, James and Greg who stumble into each others’ lives. They are forced to work together to save the badgers from the evil clutches of a badger baiting plot. Filled with heart-stopping moments you will be left wondering how two boys who despise each other can save a family of badgers. You will be left in suspense, gnawing at your nails in anticipation.

The narrative is told in first person from both James and Greg. It was interesting to follow both boys and be able to see inside their heads. Both characters are vastly different. James comes from a loving home whereas Greg’s home is extremely destructive. His father is in and out of prison while his mother is constantly sad.

James talks about how a lot has changed recently in his family. His Dad lost his job and became a stay at home dad looking after James’ younger sister Rosie. Then the bullying started. The worst being from Grotty Greg who is two years older than him. Greg makes fun of his Dad and James becomes embarrassed by him. James doesn’t tell his Dad about the bullying as he doesn’t want to upset him. He does admire his Dad (although not his home cooking) as he knows a lot about nature. He builds a treehouse for James and his friend Ahmed to watch the badgers that he found in the woods. His Dad tells him that the badger sett they found must stay a secret as there are people who would capture them and put them in dog fights. People like Greg’s Dad.

Greg talks sightly different to James. He uses ‘Me’ a lot and has a mixture of emotions that confuse him. He feels left out and has a lot of anger building up inside of him which in turn forces him to hit out. He always feels guilty after hitting someone but by then it’s too late. Greg has always been big for his age which makes him feel tough. His reputation is enough to frighten anyone and he keeps falling into trouble at school. I loved how Coverdale subtly writes comparisons of Greg to the badgers. Both are extremely misunderstood, deep down they are peaceful and will only fight in self-defence. It breaks your heart whenever you read Greg’s narrative. He has it rough and even takes to sleeping in the woods because his home life becomes that bad. No one notices him missing and he wishes that someone would care.

The more time James and Greg spend together, the more they begin to understand one another. James starts to see how Greg’s home life affects him and that he must be lonely. Greg admires how brave James is when the badgers are in danger. They both learn from each other and start to realise that they are not that different after all. Coverdale has written a beautiful story about an unlikely friendship that is bound together by the love for nature and badgers.

I enjoyed the illustrations throughout the story. They brought even more life and beauty from Coverdale’s words, allowing the reader to immerse themselves ever further into the story.

I was surrounded by nature throughout. I could hear the gentle rustle of the trees in the wind, the sniffles of hungry creatures nearby looking for worms and the comforting sense that this was a safe place. Much like Greg I felt calm, at peace. It was atmospheric and I didn’t want to leave those woods. Pure bliss.

I give The Boy Who Couldn’t By Rachel Coverdale a Four out of Five paw rating.

A story about overcoming your fears and being true to who you are. Having the strength and courage to be the person you are, not the person everyone expects you to be.

I learned a lot about badgers and enjoyed doing the little quiz at the back of the book. There is lots to learn, not just for kids but for adults too.

[Rachael Stray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had planned to just dip in and out of this book but the story just drew me in and I read it in two sittings – only stopping because I needed to get on with household chores sadly.

Although this book is written with young adults in mind I really enjoyed the story.

I liked that we were able to see perspectives between two very different characters – middle-class James and working-class Greg as different chapters are told from their perspectives.

Not being a huge outdoorsy person I also felt like I learnt a lot about badgers too which was a definite added bonus.

I really enjoyed the illustrations that are littered throughout the pages too.

As a character Greg isn’t easy to like in the beginning but as the story unfolds we readers get to understand why he behaves the way he does and he won me over in the end!

Towards the latter chapters of the book I found myself holding my breath at times as I was so tense – I just had to keep reading so I could find out what their fate would be.

This was a great read that really transported me to the tree house with the three boys watching the badgers, Greg’s struggles and the drama of the badger baiting saga.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book & would recommend it to anyone, regardless of age.

Beautifully written & illustrated, this is a heartwarming, emotive story of finding yourself, family, friendship & badgers 🦡

A powerful adventure through growing up, bullying, tackling conservation issues & how important protection of our wildlife is.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

[Louise (Bookmarks and Stages blog) Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boy Who Couldn't is a positive story that is perfect for 8-12 year olds, that is great for the home and for school, with highly relevant and teachable themes.
School Resources are available and there is also a fun quiz at the back of the book.
Find out more in the blurb and review below. There is also fascinating information about the author after that too, as well as website and social media links for her and the Badger Trust.

The chapters go between James and Greg, beginning with James, who is in the middle of a real life drama, he didn't expect to be in and his parents are in some financial trouble. It is however his 11th  birthday and is a home with love in it and fun. His dad is into adventures and wildlife and home life is quite stable. He's quite inspirational and takes time with his son, teaching him about badgers and they build a badger sett with Ahmed. Older children and young adults may be inspired to get into the outdoors and create dens, learn about wildlife and nature and have fun along the way.

When readers meet Greg for the first time, he is just turning 13. His parents are also having some issues, as does Greg himself, but finds being amongst nature calms him down. His homelife is, in complete contrast the James's homelife, more unstable, and where he feels rather invisible to his parents, and his dad has been in prison, but he does have Uncle Kev, who shows him different things and pays him attention, when he visits.

James and Ahmed come from better off backgrounds than Greg does and different places, Greg from an estate and the other 2 boys not. They do however meet in the woodland, even though they feel awkward and Greg can be a bully, plus there are just differences because of their circumstances.

The book deals with bullying and what Greg feels like when he is the one who is frightened and James and Ahmed are showing bravery, instead of how it used to be the other way round, but in the end it is Greg who also has to show some courage when men come and start capturing badgers with their dogs, even though he initially freezes. There's much trepidation and so much that will have children gasp and have them gripped. There are twists and turns as human and badger lives are put in danger. There's also courage of a different kind, which is turning your life around for the better...

It has the absolute best of endings that will have everyone smiling by then.

Children will either be able to relate or they can empathise with people who's home lives are perhaps similar or different from their own. It also shows how families can be different from each other, which encourages this empathy and understanding, as well as how very different people can end up in friendships, even when it doesn't seem it would be likely due to life circumstances. It also encourages care for wildlife, in-particular, badgers. It also really highlights wildlife crime too.

At the back of the book, there is a True or False Quiz that readers can do for fun or in a classroom setting, that will enhance their understanding of what they've just read. In addition to this, there are also teacher resources that can be obtained, so it can be used in depth in schools.

There is a website at the back of the book, I'll also include here, for The Badger's Trust, for those interested.
www.badgertrust.org.uk
The author is also responsible and has included info about what to do if children/young adults do ever find themselves in danger in the UK and also the number for Childline: 0800 1111

[Donna Morfett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is aimed at 8-12 year olds, so is not something I would normally read (despite my claims of being a child mentally!) However it was a really lovely engaging read.
It focuses around James and Ahmed, best friends, and their arch rival Greg, who is a bully and everyone is scared of.
It focuses on the families of James and Greg, how to appreciate there may be things going on behind closed doors that you dont know about and shouldnt judge. The effect job loss and alcoholism can have. It shows the bully may be that way as a reaction to something they are experiencing.
At the heart of the story is the discovery of a badger sett. A well kept secret as they are hunted to be baited in dog fights. When Greg is discovered hiding in the woods one night he is invited to join, and soon realises that he is interested in learning more about the badgers and these 2 weird kids are actually ok. It also shows him how a loving family behaves around each other.
The book explains about what happens to the badgers and the horror of it without actually going into detail. It also shows that bullies can be scared too.
At the end there is information for kids if they need help and also advice on how to protect badgers which is a great touch. This is a wonderful book and I will be encouraging parents to read it to their kids.

[Danielle Grounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this book with both my children for the last week at bedtime. And they have loved it!

Now that my children are older I sometimes have to battle them to allow me to read to them 😥 as both of them have their own book preferences and can read very well on their own. But with this book they were both asking for more every night.

It kept both of them (aged 12 and 9) enthralled, which isn't as easy as it used to be as the age gap seems to widen the older they get.

The Boy who Couldn't primarily tells the story of Greg and James, two children who couldn't be more different. The story is told from both their points of view and I LOVED the use of eye dialect to create an accent for one of the characters to differentiate between the two whilst reading aloud.

The boys wind up bonding over a badger sett they find in the woods, and James' dad explains that people bait badgers for sport. The book didn't shy away from grisly details, which delighted my son especially.

We finished this book last night, at which point my son immediately took it into his own room so he can read it again alone. I don't think you can get higher praise than that from a 12 year old boy!

This book was sent to me as part of an organised book tour.

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

if I could give this book more stars I would, it deserves ALL OF THEM.

This was such a lovely story told from 2 different perspectives, James and Greg.

James until recently hasn’t known what it’s like to have to go without, both parents had well paid jobs, so although they weren’t rich they were comfortable, were able to afford holidays and presents and trips out. – then his dad loses his job and that all had to stop so imagine his surprise when he gets a bike for his birthday!

Greg, is the completely opposite his family have never really had money, they don’t do anything anything together, feeling lost and unimportant had turned Greg into the school bully who makes Greg one of his targets!

Do bully’s deserve a second chance? – can a family of badgers, a dog and a treehouse bring everyone back together?

This book really brings home that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and that you really don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.

I think it would be a really good book to be read in schools, it might make children think twice about certain situations.

I will definitely be sharing this with my 6 year old godson!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to review by Love Reading.co.uk

Written for young adults but will appeal to adults readers also.

The author tells the story of two differing boys and what brings them together, they both have a interest in habitats and badgers habiting in a wood near to where they live. It shows how friendship is importance regardless of status or where they have come from.

I found myself in the treehouse whilst the boys looked onto the badgers and the illustrations added this beautifully drawn.

The author writes well and has a great understanding of nature and the natural world, and I literally could not put the book down and boy was there an ending.

moralistic which again will apply to both young adults and grown ups.

Recommended read.

[Astrid V.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredible book! A must-read for adults and children alike. Coverdale has produced a masterful adventure, weaving together important information for all of us about bullying, the true difficulty of growing up in an abusive family situation, and the need to take conservation and wild-life protection seriously. I learned so much about badgers through this book and want to thank Coverdale for her attention to detail!

Additionally, the powerful and empowering message that doing the right thing may be hard, it may even feel like it will collapse our lives, but, in the end, doing the right thing is the only way forward and it comes with silver linings beyond the chaos. A worthy message for all of us.

[Helen Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the story it told. The dynamics of a fmaily affecting people differently and teaching youngsters that they van define their own future through their own actions. I also found really interesting the side story learning about the badgers.

[RUTH JOHNSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

I don't have children in the age range of this book, but have read it, it's a brilliant read for kids and adults alike.

[The Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boy Who Couldn’t is a story of friendships formed between three boys who are distrustful of each other at first, but as time passes, they grow rather fond of each other. One night, when the three boys sneak outside to watch a badger family, tragedy happens. The badger-baiters come and capture the whole family of badgers, and their babies, for a deadly sport. Don’t the baiters know badgers are protected by law?

This story for middle-graders is action packed and well researched into the life of badgers. At first, the pace is slow, but it quickly picks up as the action increases. I was particularly impressed with how the author handled the suspense in the story, and the inclusion at the back of the book, of facts about badgers, the website if you would like to donate or help protect the badgers, and a phone number to call if you’re being abused.

I award 5 stars.

[Sarah the reading addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful book, I really enjoyed it.

It's such an interesting book for the understanding of the mentality of bullies and reasons for doing it. As a qualified youth and community development worker i have come across many young people who's family lives are not good and they often feel they need to prove themselves to get noticed and bullying someone who appears to have a better life or they see as weaker than the self they have nothing to lose. This book really struck a chord with me.

I really feel for Gregg, he sees James as someone different because his dad collects him from school, this could be jealousy but he also has to prove himself to his father. I don't condone bullying in any form but there is always a reason why someone bullies another and this explains a little bit as to why he bullies James. He seem so full of anger and sadness.

I really enjoyed this book, the friendship that the three boys have is really lovely and gives them each a purpose when they're looking after the animals. It's lovely that they have found a common ground and become friends and they so passionate about it. They are so excited about saving the animals that they would risk there own loves to save them.

This is such an inspiring trio and the encouragment from James' parents for all three of the boys is what they all need, especially Gregg.

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many lessons about life, particularly about nature conservation and doing what is right no matter how difficult that can be. I really loved all that Coverdale adds about badgers. It was enlightening and helpful to know more about this endangered species. A wonderful story. Highly recommend!

[Rachel Coverdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved writing this book which I wrote for a myriad of reasons. The first was simply to create an exciting adventure story which would appeal particularly to reluctant reader boys. It has been a big success with readers of all ages telling me how gripping they found it. However, as I was writing the story, it quickly developed into something much more than just an action novel.

Perhaps the two most important messages I integrated within my writing were the misunderstanding of some children who are too soon written off as bullies and the misunderstanding of our enigmatic badgers who are often assumed aggressive and unworthy of protection. To me, they are very similar - one reflects and highlights the others plight.

We are all a product of our surroundings and therefore a child brought up in a constantly dangerous household or a badger surrounded by attacking humans or dogs can burst into aggressive energy themselves. In both cases it is a form of defence. If only all children were brought up with love and care and if only nature was respected. Of course the world will never be perfect, but I hope from reading this book, people can begin to understand each other, disadvantaged children and threatened wildlife.

I'm astounded at the positive feedback I have had from both readers and educators and as a result I have uploaded a free scheme of work to TES to enable the message to be spread wide.

I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

[Lauren Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦡🔎BOOK TOUR & REVIEW🔍🦡

The Boy Who Couldn’t by @rachellouisecoverdale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️s

Thank you to the author Rachel Coverdale for #gifting me a copy of the book for my spot on @annecater14 @randomthingstours Book Tour.

This book is so well written and I loved how the dialect changed between each boys point of view.

My feelings about Greg were initially very strong but the more I learned about him the more my heart softened towards him.

I liked the way James’ family dynamic changed early on in the book and the way that his parents really enjoyed the switch up.

Greg and James are drawn together by the badger sett they separately discover. When James’ dad explains what could happen to the badgers in the sett if criminals get a hold of the badgers, the boys are pulled together further by their common goal of protecting the badgers sett.

I really loved the drawings interspersed throughout the book. The broke up the book perfectly.

I shall be begrudgingly handing this book over to my 8 year old today for him to read as I know it’s something he will love. Begrudging because I want to keep it within my selves but it’s too good not to share!