The Harder They Fall

A heart-warming and thought-provoking story of family, friendship and foodbanks, from an award-winning author well-known for his gritty realism for teens.

Cal wants to help new boy Jacob, but Jacob doesn't want anyone's help. Most of all, he doesn't want anyone to know that his whole family needs help – and they're getting it from the local food bank. But Cal and his mum are volunteers there, and so Jacob's secret's out. Cal wouldn't dream of betraying him, but there are others at school who can't pass up the chance to pick on the kid who's different …

Particularly suitable for readers aged 13+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

"Funny and thought-provoking … An enjoyable and easy read with a strong storyline and great characterisation" – Children's Books Ireland

"A belting read that romps along at a fair old pace and will keep the most reluctant reader turning the pages" – The Letterpress Project

"Bali Rai is one of those writers who never fails to excite and get his readers thinking … Love, love, love this book. It makes plain the issue of modern-day poverty and the snowballing issues it creates, especially for a young person" – Novel Ideas, Blog

"Powerful … Another important book from Barrington Stoke" – School Librarian Journal

About the author

Bali Rai was born in Leicester where he grew up in a multicultural community dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley or becoming a writer. He writes the books he would have enjoyed as a teenager and his book Rani and Sukh is a set-text for GCSE English. His novel, Killing Honour, won the North East Teenage Book Award, and was described as “utterly compelling” by The Bookseller.