The story of an unlucky boy will hit the libraries of Canada and the U.S. next year after authors Sarah Onions and Laura Meloni Bywaters clinched a deal with the Red Chair Press.

RCP will print between 2,000 and 4,000 copies in hardback and produce an e-book.

Red Chair already publishes books aimed at the younger reader and has had success with titles like Roosevelt Banks and Red Dove, Listen to the Wind.The British wartime story will be published by One Elm Books – an imprint of the Massachusetts publisher.

Co-author Sarah Onions said: ‘ The news came out of the blue on a cold March day. Laura and I are thrilled’.