I knew my brother. I knew when he talked too much about Timothy his imaginary pet eagle. He was scared.
'Whatever you do,' I said to Davey on the walk to school, 'Do not tell people about your eagle. Do not tell Miss Schweitzer about your eagle.'
He looked crestfallen. His shoulders slumped. He looked to make sure Timothy hadn't fallen off.
Lenny, small and sharp, has a younger brother Davey who won't stop growing - and at seven is as tall as a man. Raised by their single mother, who works two jobs and is made almost entirely out of worries, they have food and a roof over their heads, but not much else.
The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell's Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia. Through the encyclopedia, Lenny and Davey experience the wonders of the world - beetles, birds, quasars, quartz - and dream about a life of freedom and adventure, visiting places like Saskatchewan and Yellowknife, and the gleaming lakes of the Northwest Territories. But as her brother's health deteriorates, Lenny comes to accept the inevitable truth; Davey will never make it to Great Bear Lake.
An outstanding novel about heartbreak and healing by an award-winning author.
About the Author
Karen Foxlee is an Australian author who writes for both kids and grown-ups. Her first novel The Anatomy of Wings won numerous awards including the Dobbie Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book. Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, Karen's first novel for children, was published internationally to much acclaim while her second novel for younger readers, A Most Magical Girl, won the Readings Children's Fiction Prize in 2017 and was CBCA shortlisted the same year.
Karen lives in South East Queensland with her daughter and several animals, including two wicked parrots, who frequently eat parts of her laptop when she isn't looking. Her passions are her daughter, writing, day-dreaming, baking, running and swimming in the sea.
Industry Reviews
'A tough, tender and beautiful piece of work that left me aching.' Glenda Millard, author of The Stars of Oktober Bend
'The characters are so alive, so full of heart, curiosity and imagination, that even when tragedy comes to stay, their relationships are illuminated by joy. Told with the piercing honesty and clarity of a child, this story holds life lessons for everyone. Unforgettable.' Anna Fienberg, author of Tashi
'Lenny's Book of Everything is warm, humorous, absolutely real and above all, uplifting. Karen Foxlee, you're a genius.' Wendy Orr, author of Dragonfly Song
'A really special book for young readers and adults ... It's such a funny, sad, unforgettable and unexpected book you will be compelled to stop scrolling through your newsfeed, put down your phone, and return to the world of Lenny and Davey.' Liane Moriarty
'With exquisite detail and heartrending, evocative prose, Foxlee crafts a story that reads like a classic.' Booklist (starred review)
'Exceptional ... precisely observed, engrossing and tender.' Children's Book of the Week, Sunday Times
'Themes of family and forgiveness are front and center, but the heart of this story - and the magic of it - is the devotion of these two siblings who together navigate the harsh realities of life and loss.' Publishers' Weekly
'Astute readers might well work out how Lenny's story is going to end, but this will not lessen the power of this warm, human, and tender story. The final few chapters are very moving due to Foxlee's tight control of the tale she is telling and the real, flawed and fully-fledged characters she has created. This is an emotionally complex novel and an outstanding read.' Young Post (UK)
