Anthony McGowan is a superb writer and The Beck is another winning story.

This is the story of Kyle; a thirteen year old who finds himself spending time with his grandad after his parents have to attend hospital appointments .
Kyle perceives his grandad as a fusty old man but upon discovering he is now the owner of a rescue dog called "Rude Word" and then is taken on walk to the 'Beck' - a ancient local stream, he begins to see his grandad in a different light.

Beck is introduced to the delights of the Beck- crayfish, slowworms, water voles and bullhead fish- and also makes friends with his grandad's new neighbour Karthi; but after years of no life in the Beck and now signs of recovery the trio are shocked to find that a potential development could once again pollute the Beck. And so begins the challenge to save the Beck.

Encounters with security guards( Bumface and Dried Bogey) and school bullies Dredge, Bullet and Whetstone along with a race against time when grandad falls ill lead to a great paced adventure and push Kyle out of his comfort zone to assert himself
The magic of this book is twofold; the bringing together of young and old - cross generations - especially in a world where there seems a division between them and also the discovery of the natural environment by Kyle and all its beauty and diversity. The humour/ teasing between Kyle and his grandad is brillian t( an Elvis wig, a dog's bone ..)

Anthony McGowan's prose is pitch perfect for 11-14 year olds - humour, adventure, comradeship and family love are central to the plot.

A fantastic read which would be good for year 6-9s - an absolute delight from start to finish and it's dyslexia friendly too