Storm (novella)
Storm is a novella and picture book written by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Alan Marks, and published by Heinemann in 1985. It was the first children's book for Marks. The story features modern cottagers near a marshland with a renowned ghost. The younger daughter must cross the marsh alone in a family emergency, with telephone service down during a storm,.
Crossley-Holland won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's outstanding children's book by a British author. For the 70th anniversary of the Medal in 2007, Storm was named one of the top ten winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite.
Barron's published a first US and Canadian edition in 1989, retaining the Marks illustrations.
Audience
In a capsule summary for the 70-year Carnegie celebration, the British librarians recommend Storm for ages six and up. That is an audience two years younger than any others of the anniversary top ten; the recommendations range from ages 6+ to 14+.Storm is a chapter book, a picture book whose text is considered primary. One recent publisher Egmont calls its so-called Bananas books
"designed for independent reading" by early readers. The more advanced such as Storm are recommended for children making the transition from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2.
During the 1970s and early 1980s there had been some discussion of the readership served by the Carnegie Medal; some children's librarians had expressed concern that it recognised books for teenage readers almost exclusively. Thus the award to Storm was seen as a move to redress the imbalance.
Indeed, published in Heinemann's "Banana Book" line, Storm may be considered the first book for early readers to win the Carnegie Medal.