Rooftoppers

Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2014
Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal

Everyone tells Sophie that she was orphaned in a shipwreck—found floating in a cello case on the English Channel on her first birthday. But Sophie is convinced her mother also survived. When the Welfare Agency threatens to separate her from her guardian and send her to an orphanage, Sophie takes matters into her own hands, starting with the only clue she has—the address of a cello-maker in Paris.

On the run from the authorities, Sophie finds Matteo and his network of rooftoppers—urchins who walk tightropes and live in the sky. In a race across the rooftops of Paris, will they be able to find her mother before it's too late?

Hopeful, inspiring and thrilling in equal measure, this is a classic adventure story about pursuing your dreams and never ignoring a possible.

"A rare and remarkable treat, witty and full of original thoughts ... This quirky book advocates curiosity, thoughtfulness, freedom and courage." —Sunday Times

"Whimsical, beautifully written and as carefully balanced as the tightrope Sophie learns to walk, Rooftoppers is a sensitive and emotionally resonant novel with an uplifting message about the power of hope." —BookTrust

"A writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination." —Philip Pullman

"Rundell is an astonishing young talent and her books combine old-fashioned, edge-of-your-seat adventure with richly imagined characters ... Read everything she writes." —Daily Mail