PRE-READING
Dear Mr Henshaw meets The Wonder Years? You have my attention.
Jack Mandeville is eleven, his family is complicated, and he's about to discover that writing letters to an astronaut might be a useful way to make sense of a world that seems determined to give him more responsibility than any eleven-year-old should have to carry.
I'm always interested in stories told through letters, diaries or other glimpses into a character's private thoughts. There's something particularly appealing about getting to know a young protagonist through the things they choose to write down — and the things they perhaps don't quite understand about themselves yet.
A note for readers before you start: This story involves the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster and the death of Christa McAuliffe, the teacher-astronaut to whom Jack writes. I knew about the disaster, of course, but didn't recognise McAuliffe's name, and the date wasn't made clear until very near the end. As a result, I didn't realise what was coming when the children gathered at school to watch the launch. Readers who might find this particularly upsetting may prefer to know about it in advance.
POST-READING
I really enjoyed this. Jack is funny, observant and sometimes wonderfully blunt, with the kind of confessions that feel entirely authentic to an eleven-year-old. There are moments that reminded me of Judy Blume, and others where I could practically hear adult Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years narrating Jack's thoughts.
But beneath the humour is a much harder story. Jack is a child who has been pushed into situations he simply isn't old enough to handle, trying to look after his younger siblings while his own family life becomes increasingly complicated. It's a situation I hope is less common than it once was, although I know it hasn't disappeared.
One thing I particularly appreciated was that the adults outside his immediate family are, for the most part, concerned and helpful. The helpline Jack calls, the child protection worker and the teacher who encourages his writing all offer glimpses of what support can look like. They don't magically fix everything, but their presence matters. Jack deserves people who notice what is happening and take him seriously.
This is a middle-grade book, and there are places where the writing is simpler than an adult novel might be. Here, I think that's a strength. The story is direct and accessible, and Jack's voice feels like a child's rather than an adult's idea of what a child ought to sound like. His observations can be hilarious, his confessions painfully honest, and his understanding of the adults around him is sometimes perceptive and sometimes very much that of an eleven-year-old.
The letters give him room to be both funny and vulnerable, often within a few paragraphs of each other. And as the story unfolds, they become a way for Jack to work through a life that is far too complicated for him, even as he tries to convince himself that he can manage it.
I recommend Cardboard Knight, particularly to readers who enjoy character-driven stories about children finding their way through difficult circumstances. Just be aware of the Challenger connection before you begin, especially if you're choosing it for a young reader who might be distressed by the events surrounding the launch.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Book: Dear Mr Henshaw by Beverly Cleary — another thoughtful, funny and moving story in which a young boy uses writing to make sense of his life.
TV: The Wonder Years — particularly for the combination of childhood troubles, sharp observations and the bittersweet distance between how a child experiences the world and how an adult might remember it.
MUSIC PAIRING
“We Didn't Start the Fire” — Billy Joel
A whole world of history and upheaval rushing past while one child is just trying to get through his own life. The song's roll-call of events feels fitting for a story that places an ordinary boy's troubles against a moment of real historical tragedy.
VIBE CHECK
Colour palette: Faded denim blue, school-notebook cream, cardboard brown and the cold white of a television screen.
Soundtrack: A school classroom humming with conversation, the scratch of a pen on paper, and the distant sound of a television broadcast.
Season: Autumn into winter, with the school year moving towards an event that will change the atmosphere completely.
Mood: Wry, candid and tender, with a sadness building beneath the humour.
Scent: Pencil shavings, old paper, school corridors and the slightly dusty smell of cardboard.
Texture: Crinkled notebook pages, corrugated cardboard, worn school clothes and the soft, fragile edges of a letter you aren't sure you want to send.
TAROT CARD PULLED — PAGE OF SWORDS
The Page of Swords is curious, observant and determined to make sense of the world. Jack has plenty of questions, a sharp eye for the absurdities of adult behaviour, and a voice that can be both hilariously blunt and unexpectedly perceptive. His letters give him space to explore thoughts and feelings he might struggle to express aloud.
The Page is still learning, still working out what the world expects of him — and still very much a child, even when life demands that he act like an adult. Jack deserves the chance to ask questions, make mistakes and grow up at his own pace.
Cardboard Knight publishes on 19 January 2027. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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