Publication Date: 1st June 2017

Tash lives in Tibet. She knows the rules. She knows what happens to people who don’t follow them. The people taken by the Wujing don’t ever return.

Rule Number One: Don’t run in front of a soldier.
Rule Number Two: Never look at a soldier.
Rule Number Three: Say as little as possible.
Rule Number Four: Never draw attention to yourself.
And, there are two words banned in Tibet, two words you must never say: Dali Lama.

When a man sets himself on fire as a protest against the Chinese rule, soldiers flood her town. With their street being searched house by house, her father sends her on a dangerous mission. Only when she sees her father being held by the Wujing does she flee, and with the help of best friend Sam, begin rapid preparations for the gruelling journey across the Himalayas to ask for help from the Dali Lama in India, never knowing who to trust…

A gripping adventure, filled with danger, sorrow and hope. Tash shows true courage and determination against all the odds, and never forgets the compassion her parents taught her. Jess Butterworth brings the Himalayas within touching distance with her ability to conjure the sights and sounds with perfect clarity in the reader’s mind.

So many children in our world live in conflict and war zones every day, and face perilous journeys to find somewhere they can live in peace; without fear. Books that tell their stories with the empathy, compassion and understanding, as shown in Running On The Roof Of The World, deserve a place in every School Library and Class Library from Upper Key Stage 2 onwards. I’ve placed my preorder. This is a must for my Bookshelf.

Great for fans of Looking At The Stars, Welcome to Nowhere and The Bone Sparrow. In fact, it’s a must read for all our children. If they can’t imagine the lives that other children face in our world, they won’t have the compassion, empathy and understanding needed to help begin to make all of our world a friendlier place to live.

Many thanks to Hatchett Children’s Group for the ebook proof.