The Last Orphans

The truth is that I never did know my mother - my mum - and now I don't even know what happened to her after she had left us, what became of her - even whether she is now alive or dead. She gave life to me and, not long after, she went away. I was probably three when I last saw her. My dad died soon after. And then it was just me and my two brothers Kevin and Brucie left to fend for ourselves in a big bad world. We didn't - and couldn't - possibly know then, as defenceless little kids, just how big, and just how bad it was. But we were about to find out. So begins a life-long journey for Rex, who at the age of 11 left the children's home in Cornwall along with his brother, and travelled to Australia on the promise of a better life. It was the early 1970s and the two boys were believed to be the last orphans to be transported under the Child Migrants Programme, which began in the 1930s and was thought to have ended by 1967. They would soon find out just how much harder their already tough upbringing was about to get. For the first time ever Rex, the survivor, will tell his story of childhood innocence, unforgivable abuse at the hands of the people who were meant to care for them, and his long journey back to England to seek the truth of what really happened to his mother, and why he was sent away in the first place.

A National Book Award Longlist title! "A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true." —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon "This is one of those books that haunts you long after you read it. Thought-provoking and magical." —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series In the tradition of modern-day classics like Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island. On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts. And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again. Today’s Changing is no different. The boat arrives, taking away Jinny’s best friend, Deen, replacing him with a new little girl named Ess, and leaving Jinny as the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility now—to teach Ess everything she needs to know about the island, to keep things as they’ve always been. But will she be ready for the inevitable day when the boat will come back—and take her away forever from the only home she’s known? "A unique and compelling story about nine children who live with no adults on a mysterious island. Anyone who has ever been scared of leaving their family will love this book" (from the Brightly.com review, which named Orphan Island a best book of 2017).

Parowan, Utah Territory - August 12, 1859Two years after his mother and father were murdered in an attack on their California-bound wagon train, little Tommy Dunning crouches in an old root cellar, quivering with cold-and raw fear. Somewhere just above him, men are searching, army men who want to take him away from the only home he remembers.The Last Orphan is the journey of a courageous five-year old and two strong women, each of whom believes God has chosen her to raise the boy in love and the "correct" faith tradition. Praise for The Last Orphan-"Lowder immerses the reader in the spectacular red-rock desert of what is now Southern Utah. It is 1859, a time of mistrust, polygamy, and a theocracy defended by armed militias. Your heart will go out to a five-year-old orphan boy trapped in the turmoil, and two indomitable women, each of whom claim him as her own." - David Nelson, writer San Francisco Chronicle, ret."Over the course of the novel, the author keeps up a quick pace, even as he juggles many different characters in locales across the country. ... the book has a compelling premise at its center, and the story is alive with emotional truth." - Kirkus Reviews "A terrific story that examines a powerful range of human experience and emotions. I loved the authentic voices of a precocious little boy and the two women whose maternal love and undying beliefs will tested to the end."-Karla M. Jay, author of When We Were Brave, a 2019 DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE, New York City Big Book Award.

Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the next New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller--when everything changes and everything is at risk. As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out. When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers. Until he makes one little mistake... Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life.

Jason Wander is ready to lead the final charge into battle. After forty years of fighting the Slugs, mankind's reunited planets control the vital crossroad that secures their uneasy union. The doomsday weapon that can end the war, and the mighty fleet that will carry it to the Slug homeworld, lie within humanity's grasp. Since the Slug Blitz orphaned Jason Wander, he has risen from infantry recruit to commander of Earth's garrisons on the emerging allied planets. But four decades of service have cost Jason not just his friends and family, but his innocence. When an enemy counter stroke threatens to reverse the war and destroy mankind, Jason must finally confront not only his lifelong alien enemy, but the reality of what a lifetime as a soldier has made him.

Winner of the Branford Boase Award 2021, a breathtaking fantasy adventure for fans of His Dark Materials that The Times calls 'Unputdownable'. The City was built on a sharp mountain that jutted improbably from the sea, and the sea kept trying to claim it back. That grey morning, once the tide had retreated, a whale was found on a rooftop. When a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he's the Enemy - the god who drowned the world - come again to cause untold chaos. Only Ellie, a fearless young inventor living in a workshop crammed with curiosities, believes he's innocent. But the Enemy can take possession of any human body and the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever. To save the boy, Ellie must prove who he really is - even if that means revealing her own dangerous secret . . . 'Unputdownable' - The Times 'Enthralling' - The Daily Express 'Sumptuously atmospheric . . . tirelessly inventive' - The Daily Telegraph 'Gripping' - The Guardian 'Energetic and inventive' - Sunday Times 'Gripping and original' - The Observer 'Singularly brilliant' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars and The Mercies 'Compellingly inventive and unpredictable' - Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild 'A terrific debut of strange myths and dark secrets' - The Bookseller (Editor's Choice)

For readers who love the circus, and anyone who has dreamed of finding the perfect home, comes an engaging adventure from a Newbery Honor-winning storyteller. Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing, until life at the Home silenced her. The other orphans find work and friends at the circus, but no one will hire a mute girl. Lucy must find her voice or she will be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her. This irresistible, heartfelt novel by the master storyteller of the Tales from Alcatraz series is full of marvels and surprises.