Zak
"A wholly healing book"
Full of adventure, humour, magic and discovery, ‘Zak’ conveys the importance of connecting with nature, honouring differences, and being your unique self.
Most loved by 7-12 year olds and adults, ‘Zak’ is a 150 page story.
"I am not exactly a usual boy. And I started being unusual even before I was born. Maybe you are unusual too. I used to think i was the only one but I'm beginning to suspect there are a lot more of us than I ever imagined."
Born flying Zak's first proper conversation is with a duck. Misunderstood on his first day of school he flies out of the window and never goes back. He lives his zany, wondering life with his cat and his family . . . until one summer, age 11, they go to River Island for a holiday. There he meets Laloune and Sh'krump who lead him into a series of funny, scary and astonishing adventures, through which Zak discovers that reality is full of magic and that even people make good friends.
You can buy 'Zak'
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at the Life Resources online shop
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at other bookshops worldwide.
Listen
Listen to the first three chapters read by Bridget.
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Read an article about the process of writing 'Zak'
Real Magic - the birthing of a children's novel
Readers comments
Zak is the only story book that my son Ben, age 9, has wanted to read more than once. He read it six times!
Anne Turner
Zak is a story of considerable interest and value to children and adults alike. It is a kind and human story delivered through the fascinating self-reflection and empathy of Zak, the 11 year old central character. It is highly entertaining, but also beautifully demonstrates the wisdom and ways of respect, acceptance, warmth and humility. I will read it again and again.
Hilton Davies, Professor of Child Health Psychology, Kings College, London
Zak is an introduction to a whole new way of life, of cultivating awareness and perceptions and tapping in to the powerful, creative inner self. It’s listening to silence with pleasure, and feeling empathy non-verbally. It encourages children to feel things for themselves and to be aware of their own inner potentials, regardless of the assumptions and put-downs of others. It is a wholly healing book.
Margaret Harrison, author of ‘Angels on Roller Skates’
Give children the precious gifts of freedom of mind and encouragement for their individuality, by exposing them to Bridget Belgrave’s inspiring Zak.
Michael J. Gelb, author of "How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci"
Zak was really magical and amazing! Zak was a bit like me except I don't have magical powers. I wish I did. It was really interesting how he could talk to the animals and what they talked about.
Ziya, age 8
I like Zak. I could identify with him and accept him. He’s not too young for me, because of the humour.
Max, age 11
I think Zak was the best book I have ever read even better than Harry Potter. I thought some bits were very funny like his first day at school.
Marion, age 9
I was delighted with Zak. He makes magic very real and ordinary. He gives it being and makes it come alive. He brings hope to find that magic in my own life.
Fr. Chris Rajendrum
Zak conveys simply yet profoundly the inter-dependance of the plant, animal, human and spiritual worlds.
Allegra Wint
As a Buddhist, I related to Zak very well. The 'zing' episode seemed very much like meditation and put me in mind of the woods around a few meditation centres I have been to. It was also a delight to read a book that didn't have a violent climax. My 8 year old son was fascinated by it, wondering what would happen next and often wouldn't let me finish of an evening, demanding another chapter.
Daren De Witt
When I was a boy I was like Zak in many ways but I learnt to ‘play the game’. It has only been in recent years that I got tired of the game and started trusting myself again.
Henry, who describes himself as ‘a business man in seach of his soul’.
This book will be welcomed by ecologists. It opens the reader’s eyes to the importance of wildlife and of nature’s subtle processes that can so easily be damaged - at a cost we can hardly dare to think about.
Michael Simmonds
I have just finished reading Zak. It is wonderful. He is wonderful. It is easy and fun to read and I felt as if I were inside Zak’s mind a lot of the time. The message in this book really needs to be heard by millions of people. It makes me want to be Zak too!
Jane Duncan, author of ‘Choose Your Thoughts, Change Your Life’
I'd like to thank you for your book 'Zak', as I and my almost 6-year-old daughter read it excitedly this summer. I was really impressed how my Tess liked it as it was the first book she was eager for me to read her in English (I tried English classics a few times, but it didn't work even though she is fluent in English, although our native language is Russian). And now when I walk in the forest I recall its zing and do my best to respect it. So thank you for this magic!
Olga Belogrivtseva
An Amazon Review
5.0 out of 5 stars WOW .... WOW .... WOW, 8 April 2007
Samantha Martell (Oxford, UK)
Wow ....... what an amazing book !! I read it a year ago when I had just turned 12, it came it to our house as my younger brother is Zak too!! I thought that I would find it difficult to read and believe as I was growing up and didn't really imagine anymore .... how wrong could I have been ?? It was great ....... Bridget made this book really believable and managed to capture my imagination (something that's hard to do)!!! Thank you everyone who put this book into print and of course to Bridget Belgrave who let her imagination fly and let mine do the same !!!!
Jazmin age 13 (Sam's daughter)