The Boys follows the lives of four friends Tam, Rey, Nattie, and Bobby who were so close they were more like brothers. They were very different and enjoyed different things but when they were together they were a team.

As the years went by things stood in the way of their friendship, but they soon realised that they needed each other and that although their lives had gone in different directions they shared a special bond and would always be there for one another.

To me, this book felt like it had two parts to it for children to learn from, friendship and caring for one another and also the future and holding on to good friends who will make you laugh, be there for you, and listen to you when you need them.

I loved the progression throughout the story of the boy’s lives from little children to adults with their own family’s and yet at every stage showing the reader why their friends will be needed.

The book is perfectly illustrated and the soft colours and the images bring a sense of calm and serenity to the plot and make you emotionally attached to these four friends who within thirty-two pages can make you feel warm and emotional with their love for one another.

This is an amazing story and I hope that it gets the recognition it deserves just like Lauren Ace’s book, The Girls, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.