A heart-warming story of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

Ten-year-old Leo dreams of performing in the West End. His love of dancing is getting him through the Luton heatwave, but his selective mutism is putting his spot in the end-of-summer dance show on the line.

When chatty Richa moves in next door, Leo finds it easy to bond with her. She talks enough for the both of them… at least to begin with. But when he learns her secret it’s clear that Richa needs Leo’s support as much as he needs hers.

With Richa’s help, will Leo be able to follow his dreams? Or will Leo’s inability to talk cost him their friendship?

Call Me Lion is a testament to the power of friendship, understanding, communication and expression in all its forms. Perfect for fans of Wonder and The Boy at the Back of the Class.

About the author:

Camilla Chester is a dog walker who writes. She’s been a finalist in two national children’s writing competitions, for the National Literacy Trust and Mslexia. Call Me Lion is her first traditionally published novel. You can find out more about Camilla and her writing by visiting her website:

About Camilla Chester - Children's Author

Blog of Camilla Chester - Children's Author

WEL Publisher: Firefly Press, July 2022

Editor: Penny Thomas

Illustrations: Black and white chapter heads illustrations

Primary Agent: Veronique Baxter

Film/TV Agent: DHA (Clare Israel)

Extent: 30,000 words

Co-agents: Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates; Japanese – Japan Uni

Rights Sold: Chinese (Simplified) - Global Kids; French - Albin Michel; German - Magellan; Japanese - Komine Shoten; Korean - Green Frog; Swedish - Fyren

Praise for Call Me Lion:

<aside> 🦁 “A powerful, empathetic read.” Jo Cotterill

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<aside> 🦁 ‘A beautiful book about love and communication in all their myriad forms. So beautiful and sensitive and full of warmth.’ Zillah Bethell

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<aside> 🦁 “What a beautiful book about friendship and overcoming your fears and loneliness. I absolutely loved this and just know that I'll be thinking about the main characters, Leo and Richa for a long time to come.” Emma Finlayson-Palmer

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<aside> 🦁 “Finding your family is never easy, especially not when you have selective mutism, but Call Me Lion shows that good friends will never judge. 5 out of 5 stars.” Miss Bishop, Twitter Book Blogger

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In Camilla's words: "Why I wrote Call me Lion"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO6h0GlOI3Y&ab_channel=CamillaChester