Rooftoppers

by Katherine Rundell

★★★★★

Review 

Rooftoppers is a charming story of a young orphan who is convinced that her mother is not only alive, but somewhere in the world waiting for her. The story is filled with adventure, humour and friendship which makes for a brilliant bedtime read.

My favourite thing about this book is by far the wonderful relationship between Sophie, the protagonist, and her guardian, Charles. Their wild, care-free and unusual attitude to life is infectious and brought me a ridiculous amount of joy and had me wishing that my Mum had allowed me to write on the walls and play a cello on the roof when I was a child!

My second favourite thing was Sophie herself, who challenges every stereotype of traditional female protagonists. Sophie is scruffy, adventurous, brave and fiercely independent and willing to challenge anyone who she feels is against her. She doesn't brush her hair, she spits on her hands, she wears stained trousers so that she can climb trees more easily... she almost sounds like me when I was young. Sophie's character continues to develop throughout the book and we get to see her grow and gain confidence in herself as she fights to locate her long-lost mother.

Finally, it would be a crime to not mention the captivating setting of Paris, or more specifically the rooftops of Paris. Most of this story follows Sophie above the streets of Paris where we meet a group of (even-more-feral-than-Sophie) children who live on top of French buildings, who leap and glide between rooftops to find food, shelter and friendship. This concept opened a whole new world of possibilities and have made me wonder whether there really are a group of feral children living on Paris' rooftops.

I would recommend this book to anyone! It is so much fun, easy to read and a great book to share as a bedtime story.

Diver Deeper

Key information

Author: Katherine Rundell

Release Date:7th March 2013

Book type: Chapter, 288 pages, paperback

Reader level: Confident reader (content 8+)

Overview

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.

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