Thunder and Lightnings

Story

After Andrew’s family moves to the Norfolk countryside, he befriends Victor, a local boy and an outsider at school. The two are very different, but Victor shares his passion for the Lightning aircrafts at a nearby RAF base, just as they are being phased out and replaced by Jaguars.

Why we chose it

Thunder and Lightnings is the story of a friendship and of a childhood passion, in this case for aircraft.

It was Jan Mark’s first novel. She went on to write many more and was recognised for the quality of her writing. She won the prestigious Carnegie medal twice.

Where it came from

In 1969, Jan Mark moved to Norfolk and lived directly under a flight-path with Lightning fighters flying over her roof, which inspired her debut novel. She later moved to Oxford and was a prolific writer, her work including picture books, science fiction novels, plays, poetry and articles on the history of children’s literature.

Where it went next

Thunder and Lightnings won the Kestrel/Guardian prize for a children’s novel by an unpublished writer as well as the prestigious Carnegie Medal from the Library Association.

Associated stories

Jan Mark wrote over 50 novels and short stories for children and young people of all ages. Her most popular included The Dead Letter Box, Handles, Taking the Cats’ Way Home, Something in the Air, Heathrow Nights, Useful Idiots and Riding Tycho.

A collection of her short stories, The One That Got Away, was published after her death.