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Cathy Faulkner Books

November 1918.
Stanley is convinced that the precious stained-glass window from the church, that Martha’s grandfather hid during the war, will save his village. But Martha refuses to help him search, wanting to keep her beloved grandfather’s secrets safe.

When Stanley’s mother gets ill too, Martha visits the village, and realises she must act to help. She begins her own treasure hunt, even as her father is also struggling with the aftermath of the Great War. As the people who are most important to them suffer, Martha and Stanley are desperate to find their lost treasure and restore the village’s fortunes before it’s too late.

Chapter bookPoetry
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Devon, 1941. Like her brother, Ralph, Bonnie wants to help in the war effort rather than tend the home vegetable patch. So when the mysterious Mr Fisher is billeted at their family home, Bonnie’s mission to uncover his secrets begins. Why is he here? Is he a shirker? Or worse … a German spy?

In this engaging and emotional verse novel the words dance on the page to tell the story through poetry. Digging for Victory is captivating, powerful and entertaining. The words form interesting shapes to mirror certain themes in the story, which creates the interest needed for a reluctant reader and creates a playful vibe.

While the story is about a girl in the Second World War, some will see it as a detective story, and others will latch onto the important themes running through the book. Cathy Faulkner weaves themes through the story so that your young reader will emerge with more insight into life – it tackles self-esteem, intrinsic versus extrinsic influences on identity, fitting in, bullying, rejecting stereotypes, grief and family. While being a positive and hopeful book, it is also very moving.

The verse format clearly tells the story through poetry and makes the book stand out from the crowd of WW2 stories. It is the perfect way to tell this emotional story while encouraging the reader to care about the characters.

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