Description
Burl Crow hasn’t had many breaks in his young life. His father is a manipulative lout with a dangerous temper; his mother, worn down by years of abuse, now resorts to her “little helpers” to get her through the days. Then he meets Nathaniel Orlando Gow, the Maestro, and in just one day, this eccentric genius changes Burl’s life forever.
awards for this book
An International Board of Books for Youth (IBBY) Honor Book, 1998
Winner of the Governor General’s Award, Children’s Literature, 1995
Winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year
Short-listed for The City of Toronto Book Award
Short-listed for the Ruth Schwartz Award of the Ontario Arts Council
Short-listed for the Mr. Christie Award
Included on The Hungry Mind Review Children’s Books of Distinction
A New York Public Library Best Books for the Teenager
A Booklist Editor’s Choice.
Short-listed for the Guardian Book Prize in the UK. (The book title in the UK is The Survival Game)