The Song Walker

Zillah Bethell

SHORTLISTED FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIE MEDAL 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE UKLA BOOK AWARD 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE YOUNG QUILLS AWARD 2024

The Song Walker is an extraordinary new story of friendship, discovery and courage from Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller which won the Wales Book of the Year and the Edward Stanford Children's Travel Book of the Year 2022.

"There are three questions that I need to find the answers to:
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
And... Who am I?"

When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the desert, she has no idea who she is. She's wearing one shoe, a silky black dress, and she's carrying a strange, heavy case.

She meets Tarni, who is on a mysterious quest of her own. Together, the two girls trek across the vast and ever-changing Australian Outback in search of answers. Except both are also hiding secrets...

The Shark Caller

Dive beneath the waves with this spell-binding adventure of friendship, forgiveness and bravery, set on the shores of Papua New Guinea, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Eva Ibbotson.

“I want to be able to call the sharks. Teach me the magic and show me the ways.”
Blue Wing is desperate to become a shark caller, but instead she must befriend infuriating newcomer Maple, who arrives unexpectedly on Blue Wing’s island.

At first, the girls are too angry to share their secrets and become friends. But when the tide breathes the promise of treasure, they must journey together to the bottom of the ocean to brave the deadliest shark of them all…

Why these work together

• Adventure + cultural richness: Both take readers into vivid, different worlds — one in the Pacific islands with marine themes and Pacific culture (The Shark Caller), the other in Haiti with music, identity, and personal journey (The Song Walker).
• Journey & self-discovery: Each protagonist is on a quest, confronting fears and learning about their place in the world.
• Good for discussion: You can compare how different settings shape the characters’ challenges and growth.

Great for exploring:
🌊 environment vs culture,
🎶 identity & belonging,
📖 descriptive world-building.