A haunting story about a boy, one borrowed bird and a need to believe that it's OK to be different. Jim Liddell is a 13-year-old boy with an overactive imagination. He is so different from other boys his age, he livesin the world of his imagination. On the last weekend before the end of term he finds himself the 'lucky boy' allowed to take home the class pet, a rescued mudlark, called Mudlark. Mudlark is not long in Jim's care before he escapes from his cage to freedom through the open window of Jim's bedroom. Mudlark's new-found freedom leads to a coming-of-age experience for Jim. While he is out chasing Mudlark, Jim learns lessons in life from those he encounters. these help him deal with the eventual death of his mother. Ages 9+
