A Good Day for Climbing Trees

*Nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal*

*Spectator Best Books of the Year selection*

Two unlikely heroes inspire a whole town by fighting to save a tree


Sometimes, in the blink of an eye, you do something that changes your life forever.

Like climbing a tree with a girl you don't know.

Marnus is tired of feeling invisible, living in the shadow of his two brothers.

His older brother is good at breaking swimming records and girls’ hearts. His younger brother is already a crafty entrepreneur who has tricked him into doing the dishes all summer.

But when a girl called Leila turns up on their doorstep one morning with a petition, it’s the start of an unexpected adventure.

And finally, Marnus gets the chance to be noticed...

Jaco Jacobs is the most popular and prolific children's book author in Afrikaans. He has published more than 140 books and over a million copies have been sold. Jaco is also a well-known columnist, blogger, freelance journalist and translator. He lives in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Kobus Geldenhuys is an award-winning translator of children and young adult literature. He has translated many Harry Potter titles into Afrikaans, as well the third book in Cressida Cowell's popular series How To Train Your Dragon.