201:
him in swimming down the river from the source to the sea, over forty miles. Jess refuses, saying she must stay with her grandfather, and watches him dive from the waterfall into the river. Soon after, hearing about her grandfather as a boy, she has a sudden revelation, and she swims after the boy to the mouth of the river, where he is waiting for her before finally disappearing. Jess then learns that her grandfather has died peacefully, leaving her his painting of the 'River Boy', which she now realizes is both a landscape and a portrait of the boy she met – a self-portrait.
300:
200:
While exploring the valley, Jess feels a strange presence and sees a mysterious boy in the river, now there, now gone. When she eventually meets the boy, he gives her some surprising advice that leads to the painting being finished against everyone's expectations. In return, he challenges her to join
196:
Fifteen-year-old Jess, a dedicated swimmer, dotes on her grandfather, a fiercely independent and cantankerous artist. When he falls ill, he insists on returning to the isolated valley where he lived as a child to finish his last painting, a haunting landscape called 'River Boy'. Jess is desperately
280:
criticised the novel sharply, concluding: "Thoughtful readers will easily predict that the elusive boy is
Grandpa and that the death will be timed to coincide with the boy reaching the sea. Readers who do not, though, may tire of the repetitious family dithering over an old man who is tyrannical,
256:"The atmosphere is haunting, the sense of the power beyond ourselves, strong and silent, and the mystery of the natural world, woodlands and airy hills and sliding, glittering water are beautifully suggested, as is the strength - oh, subject most rare - of familial love." –
27:
237:
described the novel as "a poem, as well as a very moving novel", saying that "A river is a natural metaphor for life and death and Tim Bowler uses it to wonderful effect in this lovely simple story."
765:
244:"River Boy is strong on mood and atmosphere. It deals with death unpretentiously and unsentimentally, investigating the final stages with dignity and calm." –
250:"A lyrical story of bereavement that manages not to be effete thanks to credible and courageous characters and a plot that involves mystery and tension." –
271:
has all the hallmarks of a classic - it deepens with re-reading, and takes the reader on a journey. You are not the same person at the end of this book".
785:
197:
trying to cope with the knowledge that her grandfather is dying, but she does her best to help him finish the painting that is so important to him.
780:
126:
515:
760:
755:
185:
355:
471:
304:
264:
158:
157:, published by Oxford in 1997. It is the story of a teenage girl facing the prospect of bereavement. Bowler won the annual
775:
290:
750:
770:
637:
585:
508:
661:
80:
685:
669:
653:
606:
281:
emotionally remote, and self-absorbed. Sadly, his decline makes for reading more painful than engrossing."
727:
693:
428:(from 1997 press release?). Last update 15 May 2012. Tim Bowler's Official Website. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
645:
677:
711:
70:
616:
598:
501:
177:
719:
386:
624:
476:
324:
181:
133:
121:
66:
545:
170:
561:
359:
162:
352:
703:
569:
537:
276:
240:
Reviews in the national newspapers praised the novel's atmosphere and subject matter:
744:
463:
234:
340:
421:
577:
525:
154:
40:
409:
441:
140:
445:
371:
493:
484:
26:
267:, the judges said: "This extremely fine novel was a clear winner...
328:
327:. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners.
222:
Alfred, a garrulous neighbour who knew "Grandpa" when he was young
412:(directory). Tim Bowler's Official Website. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
497:
134:
343:. Tim Bowler's Official Website. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
374:(first U.S. edition). WorldCat. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
288:
210:
Jessica (Jess), a fifteen-year-old dedicated swimmer
353:"Angus Book Award: Previous shortlists and winners"
161:, recognising the year's best children's book by a
132:
120:
112:
104:
96:
86:
76:
62:
54:
46:
36:
422:"Tim Bowler: Winner of the Carnegie Medal with
509:
8:
180:) published the first U.S. edition in 2000 (
19:
766:Carnegie Medal in Literature winning works
516:
502:
494:
451:
25:
18:
213:Grandpa, an artist at the end of his life
405:
403:
401:
399:
382:
380:
448:catalog) —immediately, first US edition
317:
295:
362:. Angus Council. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
7:
263:In announcing the award of the 1997
16:1997 young adult novel by Tim Bowler
230:Literary significance and reception
393:1 June 2000. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
341:"Carnegie Medal Acceptance Speech"
14:
298:
1:
781:Oxford University Press books
176:Margaret K. McElderry Books (
786:Children's books about death
216:Dad, his son, Jess's father
802:
761:British young adult novels
153:is a young adult novel by
532:
480:
469:
459:
454:
387:"RIVER BOY by Tim Bowler"
24:
593:Tales from the Dark Side
472:Carnegie Medal recipient
331:. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
81:Oxford University Press
116:135 pp (first edition)
756:1997 children's books
607:Walking with the Dead
305:Children's literature
776:Novels by Tim Bowler
325:Carnegie Winner 1997
178:Simon & Schuster
71:supernatural fiction
751:1997 British novels
21:
771:Novels about death
358:2007-06-07 at the
219:Mum, Jess's mother
169:also won the 1999
738:
737:
492:
491:
481:Succeeded by
146:
145:
127:978-0-19-271756-6
97:Publication place
67:Young-adult novel
47:Cover artist
793:
518:
511:
504:
495:
460:Preceded by
452:
429:
419:
413:
407:
394:
384:
375:
369:
363:
350:
344:
338:
332:
322:
303:
302:
301:
294:
252:The Sunday Times
171:Angus Book Award
136:
88:Publication date
29:
22:
801:
800:
796:
795:
794:
792:
791:
790:
741:
740:
739:
734:
712:Sea of Whispers
528:
522:
488:
475:
467:
438:
433:
432:
420:
416:
408:
397:
385:
378:
370:
366:
360:Wayback Machine
351:
347:
339:
335:
323:
319:
314:
309:
299:
297:
289:
287:
232:
207:
194:
163:British subject
105:Media type
89:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
799:
797:
789:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
743:
742:
736:
735:
733:
732:
724:
716:
708:
704:Buried Thunder
700:
699:
698:
690:
682:
674:
666:
662:Running Scared
658:
650:
642:
629:
621:
613:
612:
611:
603:
590:
582:
574:
570:Storm Catchers
566:
558:
550:
542:
533:
530:
529:
523:
521:
520:
513:
506:
498:
490:
489:
482:
479:
468:
461:
457:
456:
450:
449:
444:in libraries (
437:
436:External links
434:
431:
430:
414:
395:
391:Kirkus Reviews
376:
364:
345:
333:
316:
315:
313:
310:
308:
307:
286:
283:
277:Kirkus Reviews
265:Carnegie Medal
261:
260:
254:
248:
231:
228:
227:
226:
223:
220:
217:
214:
211:
206:
203:
193:
190:
159:Carnegie Medal
144:
143:
138:
130:
129:
124:
118:
117:
114:
110:
109:
106:
102:
101:
100:United Kingdom
98:
94:
93:
90:
87:
84:
83:
78:
74:
73:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
798:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
748:
746:
730:
729:
725:
722:
721:
717:
714:
713:
709:
706:
705:
701:
696:
695:
691:
688:
687:
686:Cutting Loose
683:
680:
679:
675:
672:
671:
670:Fighting Back
667:
664:
663:
659:
656:
655:
654:Breaking Free
651:
648:
647:
643:
640:
639:
635:
634:
633:
630:
627:
626:
622:
619:
618:
614:
609:
608:
604:
601:
600:
599:Blood on Snow
596:
595:
594:
591:
588:
587:
583:
580:
579:
575:
572:
571:
567:
564:
563:
559:
556:
555:
551:
548:
547:
546:Dragon's Rock
543:
540:
539:
535:
534:
531:
527:
519:
514:
512:
507:
505:
500:
499:
496:
487:
486:
478:
474:
473:
466:
465:
458:
453:
447:
443:
440:
439:
435:
427:
425:
418:
415:
411:
406:
404:
402:
400:
396:
392:
388:
383:
381:
377:
373:
368:
365:
361:
357:
354:
349:
346:
342:
337:
334:
330:
326:
321:
318:
311:
306:
296:
292:
284:
282:
279:
278:
274:In the U.S.,
272:
270:
266:
259:
258:The Spectator
255:
253:
249:
247:
243:
242:
241:
238:
236:
229:
225:The river boy
224:
221:
218:
215:
212:
209:
208:
204:
202:
198:
191:
189:
187:
186:0-689-82908-6
183:
179:
174:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:
142:
139:
137:
131:
128:
125:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
85:
82:
79:
75:
72:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
31:First edition
28:
23:
728:Game Changer
726:
720:Night Runner
718:
710:
702:
692:
684:
676:
668:
660:
652:
644:
638:Playing Dead
636:
631:
623:
615:
605:
597:
592:
584:
576:
568:
560:
553:
552:
544:
536:
483:
470:
462:
423:
417:
390:
367:
348:
336:
320:
275:
273:
268:
262:
257:
251:
246:The Guardian
245:
239:
235:Susan Cooper
233:
199:
195:
192:Plot summary
175:
166:
149:
148:
147:
50:Jason Friend
694:Risking All
617:Frozen Fire
410:"River Boy"
372:"River boy"
745:Categories
646:Closing In
625:Bloodchild
586:Apocalypse
578:Starseeker
526:Tim Bowler
524:Novels by
312:References
205:Characters
155:Tim Bowler
41:Tim Bowler
20:River Boy
678:Mixing It
554:River Boy
442:River Boy
424:River Boy
269:River Boy
167:River Boy
150:River Boy
141:787800429
77:Publisher
446:WorldCat
356:Archived
285:See also
55:Language
562:Shadows
485:Skellig
455:Awards
58:English
731:(2015)
723:(2014)
715:(2013)
707:(2011)
697:(2010)
689:(2010)
681:(2010)
673:(2009)
665:(2009)
657:(2009)
649:(2008)
641:(2008)
628:(2008)
620:(2006)
610:(2005)
602:(2004)
589:(2004)
581:(2002)
573:(2001)
565:(1999)
557:(1997)
549:(1995)
541:(1994)
538:Midget
291:Portal
184:
37:Author
632:Blade
329:CILIP
113:Pages
108:Print
63:Genre
477:1997
464:Junk
182:ISBN
135:OCLC
122:ISBN
92:1997
188:).
747::
398:^
389:.
379:^
173:.
165:.
69:,
517:e
510:t
503:v
426:"
293::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
