A review by salreads
The Climbers by Keith Gray

5.0

The Climbers is my second five star read this month - both have been children’s books. This is the story of Sully, Mish and Nottingham - what epic names! They live in a village, go to school, struggle with homework, ride bikes and climb trees. Sully is the best climber in the village ..that is until Nottingham arrives and he finds everything that he has counted on starts to disappear…And there’s a race..
Such a short book but such a big story. This is about friendship, rivalry, determination, kindness, self-worth, love and family. It is the kind of story that just spreads and spreads itself out like the roots of a tree as your imagination searches out the pieces the book can only intimate… I felt I had really come to know Sully, with his annoying older brother, his loving hard-working Mother, his sense of self value which rests on his reputation as a climber. Mish, a loyal friend, who everyone thinks is academically behind but actually is way ahead..I keep thinking about Nottingham and wondering what his story might be both before and after The Climbers..This tapped into so much of my inner child and those wobbly days when you are discovering yourself.I have found myself seeking out trees and wondering which ones would be the easiest to climb…