Little Bang

This is a book which has been a long time coming. A book for teens and young adults who may be struggling with the reality of an unwanted pregnancy. A book which deals honestly and openly with so many of the issues around abortion - and in particular, the issues in Northern Ireland, of which many readers will be unaware - in a respectful, nuanced and thought-provoking manner.

Sid and Mel's journey through her pregnancy, their conflicting feelings, the reactions of those around them, and her final, very difficult​, decision to travel to England to abort her baby, is handled sensitively and truthfully. Kelly ​McCaughrain gives space for the different attitudes around abortion to be voiced, but makes it clear that ​ultimately only one person has the right to make that decision.

She is a skilled writer who has used the stories ​told to her of un​p​lanned pregnanc​ies in a country where ​u​ntil 2019 it was illegal to ​h​ave an abortion, to inform her story. Access to abortion in Northern Ireland is still ​m​ore difficult​ than in England.

One in three women in the UK - many of them under 18 - will have an abortion during their lifetimes. It should b​e ​the private choice ​of the individual, not one shrouded in secrecy and shame​, and in in my opinion the lack of abortions within storylines of of children's fiction perpetuates this shame and cedes ground to pro-life lobbyists.

This is such an important, ground-breaking book. It is entertaining, thought-provoking and compassionate, and I think it should be in every school and library, educating and supporting young people. Kelly McCaughrain and Walker​ Books are to be applauded for in talking around this taboo topic with honesty, and I hope other publishers will follow suit​.