A life-affirming coming-of-age novel about friendship, family and the bittersweet beauty of growing up!

For Billie, summer has already meant Pearl Beach - foaming white waves and lazy mornings, old Aunt Edith and above all, her best friend Andy. But this year, Andy is determined to grow up. Billie wants to change too, but why does growing up feel like losing their friendship forever?

Then Aunt Edith gives Billie the diary she kept as a teenager. Inside is a tale of extraordinary survival - of feeling persecution and crossing oceans, of agonizing betrayal and breathtaking first love. Guided by Edith's past, can Billie find the courage to face her own future?

Praise for Pearl Beach

'This poetic novel flows with lyrical ease' Jamila Gavin, author of My Soul, A Shining Tree

'A delightful coming-of-age verse novel' Tia Fisher, author of Crossing the Line

'A stunning book that perfectly interweaves poetry and history' Gráinne O'Brien, author of Solo



Beth Steiner is an author of books for children and young people. As a passionate slam poet, she skilfully weaves poetry into her narratives, bringing a lyrical quality to her storytelling. Living in Sydney, Australia, Beth balances her writing with family life alongside three lively children. She is inspired by the remarkable resilience of the young people she's encountered during her time as a Primary School teacher.



The narrative of this poetic novel flows with lyrical ease, as Billie's golden childhood is mixed with shadows and pain. Perfect for readers of exactly the age of Billie, entering her teens, who will see themselves reflected in her



Pearl Beach is a delightful coming-of-age verse novel, pitched perfectly for pre-teens. Beth Steiner's poignant debut explores a painful cusp-of-womanhood summer in all its complexity: who is Billie supposed to be, now she's not a girl anymore? The relationship between young Billie, her friends and her holocaust-survivor great aunt are tenderly and sensitively painted. It's a warm story, with layers of emotion under the carefully-chosen words



A stunning book that perfectly interweaves poetry and history. Steiner has created something wonderful, a book that reaches into the past and reminds the reader that the pains of growing up are universal



Lyrical and poignant, Beth Steiner's coming-of-age novel perfectly captures the pain and complexity of growing up. I absolutely loved it!



A poignant and uplifting novel