Fish — L.S. Matthews

Winner of the Fidler Award, this is a compelling, globally successful book about becoming a refugee, told with compassion and hope.

War and drought have come to Tiger's country. Just before Tiger's family leaves, Tiger finds a fish struggling for life in a drying-up puddle - and rescues it. And so they set off on a dangerous journey across the mountains, with only what they can carry on their backs - the fish's grip on survival mirroring their own.

Critically acclaimed for its subtlety and simplicity, this is a universal fable where the specifics of geography, conflict and even the gender of the narrator are not given. Anyone can identify with Tiger's desire to make a difference to the world, and keep hope alive.