Angel Creek

In her new falling-down home, in her new street, in her new suburb, Jelly waits for high school to begin. She can only feel happy up in the branches of the old apricot tree and by the creek at the back of the house. One night, Jelly and her cousins spot something in the creek’s dark waters. At first they think it’s a bird, but it isn’t…it’s a baby angel with a broken wing. And they decide to keep it.

But soon things start to go wrong, and Jelly discovers that you can’t just take something from where it belongs and expect that it won’t be missed.

Sally Rippin’s Angel Creek is a book about growing up: being brave and selfish and tough and scared. It’s a book about an angel. But not the sweet variety. It’s a book about the things that change and the things that always stay the same.

Read an interview with Imogen Walter, age 11 – including some of Sally’s gorgeous illustrations.

There are Teaching Notes available for Angel Creek here.

Praise for Angel Creek:

It’s about magical discoveries, secrets from family and the awareness that growing up is just around the corner.…Angel Creek is an imaginative and assured move into writing for older children by Sally Rippin.

Buzz Words

Angel Creek is a really beautiful exploration of a time of change for a young person… Exquisitely written, and exploring the loss of innocence, kindness, kinship and a certain kind of faith, this book is fantastical (but not fantasy, it’s firmly rooted in reality), effortlessly metaphorical and a little bit magic.

Bean There Read That

This story flows effortlessly between the supernatural and the everyday goingson in Jelly’s life. Beyond its mystical elements, it touches on many issues relevant to children, such as relationships with grandparents, bullying and the transition to high school. It is an exciting, scary and wondrous story.

Herald Sun

Angel Creek is a delightful little read, perfect for a dreamy day down by the creek. Full review.

Of ceiling wax and cabbages

‘With a compelling mixture of reality and fantasy, Angel Creek was such a fascinating story that I read it in one sitting. Rippin’s picture of family life was one that rang true…. Rippin’s story has a unique take on angels and their origins and this story of a baby creek angel is fascinating and original.’

Read Plus Review blog