- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–13
- Fantasy
The Song from Somewhere Else
A beautifully strange illustrated novel about bullying, unlikely friendship and a hidden otherworld beneath ordinary life. Ideal for thoughtful readers who like dark magic, emotional depth and books that feel literary but still gripping.
- Best for9–13
- FormatChapter
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~7 hr10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Dark
- Bittersweet
- Suspenseful
- Thought provoking
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Frank is being bullied when Nick, the strange boy no one really understands, unexpectedly helps her. Their friendship grows uneasily, opening the door to something secret, uncanny and not quite human in Nick's life. The Song from Somewhere Else combines school realism with dark fantasy, using the everyday pain of bullying as the route into something much stranger. A.F. Harrold writes with tenderness and offbeat humour, while Levi Pinfold's monochrome illustrations give the book a haunting, otherworldly quality. It is emotionally rich rather than cosy: there is fear, loneliness and genuine sadness, but also an unusual warmth in the connection between Frank and Nick. This is a high-quality illustrated novel for confident readers who are moving beyond safe adventure into more layered stories about friendship, difference and hidden worlds.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 9–13
- Read aloud · 9–13
- Independent · 9–13
Prose load
Heavy
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: bullying, scary imagery, violence.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Bullying
- Unlikely friendship
- Dark fantasy
- Literary middle grade
- Levi pinfold art
Avoid if
- Sensitive to bullying
- Wants light adventure
- Under 9
- Prefers no scary fantasy
Particularly good for children who are…
- Being bullied
- Making friends
- Low self esteem
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A haunting, tender novel about an unlikely friendship and standing up to bullies — a strong discussion and class read about kindness and difference.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the bullies and the basement — Frank being bullied at school, the strangest biggest boy unexpectedly helping her, his life turning out to contain something secret and uncanny and not quite human. The Harrold / Pinfold illustrated novel that does dark fantasy through ordinary pain.
- Secret world
- Friendship and belonging
- Surviving danger
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The A.F. Harrold / Levi Pinfold illustrated novel — school realism opening into dark fantasy, Pinfold's monochrome haunting the whole book. Emotionally rich rather than cosy. Quietly extraordinary; strong for confident readers ready for layered stories about difference.
- Great writing
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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