Scottish Book of the Week: Breaker

For this week’s instalment of reading my way around Scotland through children’s books, we have a contemporary adventure story set in the East Lothian town of North Berwick. Breaker, by Annemarie Allan, is a seaside adventure with suspense and mystery, and an environmental message at its heart.

Book Details

Title: Breaker
Author: Annemarie Allan
Genre: Adventure
Recommended reading age: 8+

Scottish Setting

The story is set in the East Lothian town of North Berwick. Local streets and landmarks that get mentioned include the North Berwick High Street, the Sea Bird Centre, the Bass Rock, North Berwick Harbour, Tantallon Castle, and the nearby Seacliff beach.

“Tom gestured to the Sea Bird Centre perched on the headline like a giant wooden sailboat washed up on the rocks.” (Page 8)

Plot Summary

When twins Tom and Beth move to the windswept seaside town of North Berwick, they’re far from happy about their new home. With a half-renovated house, a new school, and no friends yet, they’ve resigned themselves to a miserable summer. Things start to become more interesting when they meet the eccentric Professor MacBlain and discover that the coast holds more surprises than they expected. Who exactly is MacBlain and what is he hiding?

When an oil tanker disaster threatens the local shoreline and its wildlife, suddenly everything feels a lot more serious. Tom and Beth find themselves drawn into an adventure that tests their courage and leaves them determined to help protect the place they’ve only just begun to call home.

“Welcome to Seacliff, the smallest harbour in Britain. Actually, there was no harbour at all until someone had the bright idea of blasting one out of the rock. Must have been quite an explosion!” (page 106)

Conclusion

What starts as a story about a difficult family move and settling into a new place, quickly turns into an exciting coastal adventure with a strong environmental thread, a mystery to solve, and a little bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure. If you’re looking for a children’s novel that combines adventure, a seaside setting, and an environmental message without feeling too heavy, this is one worth picking up.

Breaker is available from uk.bookshop.org (Affiliate Link) or you can order it from your favourite indie bookshop.