War

I think this might be the perfect book! I have to be honest and say I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea. It is about a family having to leave their home in Syria due to the war and their journey to a refugee camp. I thought it might be very harrowing and upsetting but from the first page Elizabeth Laird's writing captivated me. I loved, and cared about, the family so much I couldn't put the book down. They do face hardship, there is no shying away from the awful situation they are in but there is warmth and charm in abundance. I also loved the way the story ended and the handing over of the responsibility for the family's outcomes to the reader - very smart and thought provoking. If there was one book I would recommend everyone should read it would be this one.

Shortlisted for the Great War Dundee Children's Book Prize, this adventure takes us through the streets of Dundee and Broughty Ferry.

Set in Dundee in 1917, 11-year-old James from Broughty Ferry, goes to live with his mill-working aunt in Dundee. Fitting in isn't easy for James but over time he find friendships and learns to explore and make dens in areas of Dundee many of us will find familiar.

The horrors of war hang over James and he worries about his family and his survival. This will be a summer he will never forget.

EK/StJ/13/05/20

You may be more familiar with Terry Deary's Horrible History non-fiction books but he has also written exciting novels.

It is 1918 and nearly the end of the First World War. Two children find themselves involved. Aimee is hunting down a German spy and Marcus is nursing wounded soldiers and finds himself behind enemy lines. Can he avoid the traitors and make it back to safety. Will the children both survive to see the end of the war?

EK/StJ/14/05/20

Inspired by the real-life diary of a Scottish boy soldier the diary lets you step into the boots of a 14 year old boy, James Marchbanks, to get an insight into what WWI was really like.

This difficult topic is handled beautifully by Gill Arbuthott and Darren Gates' illustrations complement the writing perfectly. The book also includes some real photos of James.

You can never go wrong with Michael Morpurgo! He weaves the story of a Roma family during World War Two through the story of the famous Camargue Flamingos. Life in German occupied France, for Roma families, was hard and dangerous, yet Kezia grew up happy and carefree. She worked on her family's beautifully painted carousel. Travelling around made it difficult for Kezia to make friends but this summer, her friendship with Lorenzo, Flamingo Boy, blossoms, binding the two families together, forever.

EK/StJ/25/05/20

Olive Bradshaw and her younger brother are evacuated to Devon to escape the London Blitz. They end up staying with the local lighthouse keeper who isn't too keen on company. Olive is desperate to be as helpful as possible and becomes his post-girl delivering, what she likes to think of as, secret messages to the villagers. But Olive has her own secret, her older sister Sukie went missing during an air raid in London and now Olive has found a strange coded note that seems to link Sukie to Devon.

This is a great mystery in an authentic WWII setting.