Cowgirl - Gemin, G. R.

Growing up on the embattled Mawr Estate in South Wales, all Gemma sees are burglaries, muggings, sadness and boredom. With a dad in prison and a mum who has given up hope, she, like everyone around her, is holding on to memories of the times when happiness wasn't so hard to find. When her search for the scene of a perfect childhood day takes her up into the surrounding hills, Gemma is forced into a meeting with the legendary Cowgirl. Everyone at school knows she's a weirdo: six foot tall and angry, the only conversations she has are with the twelve cows on her dad's farm. But with her abrupt arrival in Gemma's life, everything starts to look different. And with her only friends in mortal danger of the abattoir, it turns out she and Gemma have a mission on their hands. A gently funny story of a community coming together, this is a tale of happy endings in unexpected places. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize Winner of the Tir na n-Og Award Cover illustration by Tom Clohosy Cole. Also by G. R. Gemin: Sweet Pizza"The warmth and charm of 'Sweet Pizza' are quite extraordinary; though there are some very moving moments, it is mainly a joyous and eccentric comedy." - Kate Saunders, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Judge