Reviewed by Kerry Gittins
Gone. It was a
word that made sense and made no sense at all. How was he supposed to concentrate at school and
make sense of anything when his grandma had just . . . well, gone. Not
only had grandma been Elliot's connection to his love of music, but she was his
best friend, too. Now the last thing he wanted to do was play his violin. Music
just didn't feel the same without her there. One afternoon his mum knocked
on the bedroom door and handed him an old cassette tape in an envelope that
grandma had left just for him. As it played, the loop of four simple notes
seemed to be asking him questions and demanding answers that he wasn't ready to
give. Finally, he let his grief explode and when he was done, he fell into a
deep, dreamless sleep. But just before midnight, he was awoken by a snuffling
sound and when he opened his eyes, it wasn't what he thought it might be.
Sitting beside his bed, eating the dinner his mum had left for him was - a
dragon!
'I'm your guide for the journey . .
.' said Kimorin the dragon.
'. . . I'm not going anywhere,' protested
Elliot.
'Are you sure? So, you ain't got a
ticket?'
Elliot remembered the ticket he had
found under his pillow sixteen days after grandma had died. The only thing on
it that he had recognised was his name - and now the dragon's. Elliot's
journey on The Night Train was about to begin.
From the very first chapter we feel the enormity
of Elliot's loss and sense the love and connection he shared with his
grandmother through music. But whilst acknowledging that grief and sadness, Ben
Brooks also encourages the reader to embrace the magic of the journey, the
importance of friendship and family, and the power of music to heal and inspire
hope. A warmhearted and uplifting story for ages 7 +. Highly recommended.
Teaching themes could include grief, loss, dragons, trains, family, friendship,
magic, magical creatures, boys, emotions, music, composing, musical
compositions.
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