Storm Catchers by Tim Bowler
"Storm Catchers" by English author Tim Bowler was first released in 2001. Over the course of a four-day rainstorm, the gripping mystery-thriller about the abduction of Ella Parnell unfolds. Ella lives peacefully in a coastal town in England when she is abducted by an intruder, prompting her fifteen-year-old brother, Fin, to embark on a relentless quest to rescue her. Laden with guilt for leaving Ella alone with their three-year-old brother Sammy, Fin resolves to confront the kidnappers and ensure justice is served.
As the suspense heightens, Fin and Sammy unravel clues leading to Ella’s whereabouts, but uncover dark, family secrets along the way, culminating in a perilous standoff at a lighthouse. It turns out that Ella's abduction stems from past mistakes made by Fin's father, the consequences of which will change their lives forever.
Told from the alternating perspectives of the three siblings, each voice offers a unique insight into the unfolding drama. Sammy, with his peculiar ability to commune with invisible entities, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. Sammy often disappears into the bluffs to ‘catch the storm’ and is frequently found speaking to himself and his imaginary supernatural friend.
"Storm Catchers" won several awards, including the South Lanarkshire Book Award, the Stockton Libraries Award, the Stockport Schools’ Book Award, and others. The novel has been called ‘suspenseful and scary’ by The Sunday Times, and ‘full of atmosphere, energy and emotional shrapnel’ by The Guardian.
Before becoming a writer, Tim studied Swedish at university, was a teacher and translator, and also worked in forestry and the timber trade. He and his wife live in Devon where he works in what his friends call his ‘bolthole’, a beautiful stone outhouse.
Tim has written more than twenty books for children and young adults, and has won fifteen awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal for “River Boy”. His most recent novel is the gripping “Bloodchild” and his provocative “Blade” series is being hailed as a ground-breaking work of fiction. He has been described by The Sunday Telegraph as ‘the master of the psychological thriller’ and by The Independent as ‘one of the truly individual voices in British teenage fiction’.
See below for ‘Storm Catchers’ words. You can also access an editable list here.
Vocabulary Cards
As well as word lists, we also offer free use of our vocabulary cards, which can be downloaded as a PDF for use in class. Complete a short form and we will email you the cards straight away.
Vocabulary cards include:
- Definition;
- Word type;
- Synonyms and antonyms;
- Example sentence;
- Image.
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The Vocab Module - How it Works
Find out more about our Vocab module. It's simple, online, and each learner has their own username and password. You (the teacher) allocate the word list you'd like your class to work on... and away they go!
