The Good Turn

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What to expect

Brought to you by Puffin.

From the award-winning author of High Rise Mystery


A sharp, funny middle grade adventure with themes of real-life activism and how to help others for fans of The Goonies and The London Eye Mystery.

Josephine Williams is a future-focused, internet-loving eleven-year-old who is desperate to explore the world beyond her cul-de-sac - and her browser.

When she learns about Josephine Holloway - a woman who started the first Girl Scout Troop for Black girls in America - she's certain she must start her own.

Enlisting her friends Margot Anderson and Wesley Evans, the trio begin their quest for their Camping Badge. Drawn to an abandoned factory nearby, they stumble across something strange. A square, ancient television and two tatty armchairs. Beside it, a wooden sideboard with an old photograph of a young, happy couple.


What is this? Who, or what, lives here - and why?


'Brilliant; a joy to the very end' Katherine Rundell

'I love it!'
Elle McNicoll

'An intriguing mystery adventure . . . bold and brilliant'
Sophie Anderson

'A joy to read.' Alex Wheatle


© Sharna Jackson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

  • I utterly loved The Good Turn; it’s bone-deep brilliant; a joy to the very end. It’s so warm and so funny, and so ferociously on the side of justice and of hope. I wanted to know the kids; I loved them like they were real – and I wanted every child I know to have the chance to be in the Copseys. It has a clarity to it that means that to read it feels like being nourished. I adored it.

    Katherine Rundell
  • I love it! Josie, Margot and Wesley are so real to me after reading it. Sharna really knows how to properly tell stories with and for young people. I want to be in the Copseys!

    Elle McNicoll, author of A Kind of Spark
  • An intriguing mystery adventure with bold and brilliant characters, and heartfelt themes of family, friendship and good intentions.’

    Sophie Anderson, author of The House With Chicken Legs
  • Fully-rounded characters that young readers will recognise and engage with. The dialogue is number 1 haircut grade sharp – it powers the story along and is full of witty, entertaining banter. Perfect for the middle-grade reader. A joy to read.

    Alex Wheatle, author of Crongton Knights
  • Praise for Sharna Jackson:
    Jackson’s voice is distinct and original, while her deft characterisation and evocation of place make for a funny, engaging modern mystery.

    Guardian
  • Praise for Sharna Jackson:
    This story reads with a rare freshness and energy. The voices and the setting are convincing and vivid… an intriguing mystery

    The Times

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