Castle Grim by Shaun Barnett

Set in a future dystopia with no internet or global communications, where books can no longer be made and have become invaluable, eleven-year-old Herman 'life is turned upside down when he is sent off to an orphanage known as Castle Grim. 

Surrounded by pirates and stalked by kidnappers prowling the land, Herman is determined to find out what has happened to his parents and enlists the help of his clever friend Polly. 

The winner of 2025 Storylines Tom Fitzgerald Award, this is a book that will captivate middle-grade readers. Published posthumously, author Shaun Barnett grips readers from the very first page. It is packed with action, adventure, courage, friendship and humour. There's pirates and snarling dogs, shipwrecks and treacherous waters. 

Sometimes it cuts close to the bone with the current state of the world with both a mega quake and a pandemic upending the world. Barnett explores concepts like community, government and environmental resilience in an authentic and realistic way. There's no preaching and the elements work well with the story.

Barnett was a writer and editor of Wilderness and Backcountry magazines and an avid lover of the outdoors. I loved that his writing offers readers a glimpse into his passions; the outdoors and reading.

Barnett's characters are unique but realistic, each with a bold sense of self. While the story bounces around a lot, each character makes for a solid focal point and readers won't be left floundering. Herman and Polly develop a lovely friendship, and it was refreshing that it didn't turn into a soppy story that is common in other books marketed at middle grade. 

While I'm not normally a dystopian action fan, Castle Grim had me completely spellbound. With a strong story, interesting setting, a well-developed world, and plenty of action, it is a compelling read that Barnett's family should be very proud of.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

Scholastic