Coram Boy

Romance, murder, betrayal. Doomed babies given to a killer. Children sold as slaves. A historical love story where relatable teens battle against terrible odds. Fact: it won the Whitbread Prize, so we’re not the only ones who adore it. The Coram Man takes babies from desperate mothers. They pay him to take their little ones safely to a foundling hospital in London. Instead, he murders them and buries them by the roadside. Only one person knows: his helpless and horrified son, Mish. But Mish saves one child – Aaron. This child grows up, unaware of his history and showing a true gift for music. But as Aaron’s new life takes him closer to his real family, he falls back into the clutches of the evil Coram Man…

  • Winner of the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award
  • Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and adapted for the stage
  • Epic storytelling which brings historical England to life
  • Explores true-life themes of child neglect and slavery

This book contains mature content more suitable for readers aged 12+.

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  • Awards

    Jamila Gavin won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award for Coram Boy in 2000.

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