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BLITZ: One Family’s War

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Book Synopsis

Written & illustrated by Martin lmpey, Blitz One Family’s War tells the moving story of a family living in the East End of London during WW2. It is told from the perspective and memories of a brother & sister who watched their ordinary world change around them. From the outbreak of war and waving their father off to fight the Nazis, to their relentless nightly runs to the air raid shelters and wondering if their home would still be there in the morning. ln the 247 glorious illustrations, this book celebrates the never say die spirit of the people from the many cities in those dark days, who kept calm and carried on.

Our Review Panel says...

This wonderful illustrated story by Martin Impey details the moving story of one family living in London during World War Two.

The story is told from the perspective of the two children in the family and explains what life was like before the war and then what happens once the war starts. There are specific details included in the book, for example, the exact time the war was announced, what rationing was and what happened during an air raid.

The atmospheric watercolour illustrations complement the story superbly, and put visual storytelling at the centre of the reading experience. The wartime mood set by the nostalgic colour palette combined with the snippets of archived material like letters and broadcasts begin to bring alive a historian’s sense of recreating details of the war from an ageing generation’s living memory and recorded material – an important aspect of historical understanding to grasp for today’s younger readers who are more familiar with the ease of video footage and livestream accounts of news events.

This beautiful and moving book is well researched and rich with detail, making it an excellent addition to any classroom.