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If the Invader Comes

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Book Synopsis

With the spectre of a Nazi invasion looming over Britain, three children are forced into an unlikely allyship in this gripping wartime tale from multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer.

June 1940 – after the devastating defeat of the British forces at Dunkirk, the terrifying prospect of a Nazi invasion of Britain seems ever more likely. In these dark days, three children whose parents are involved in top-secret war work are brought together in unlikely ally ship, covering for their parents and facing down malicious gossip as they come under suspicion from their local community.

Forced to confront the brutal realities of war as it affects every aspect of their lives, the children find the courage to play their part, rescuing survivors and refugees at sea, and undertaking river patrols to detect German E-boat incursions.

But when it appears that the invader is at their shores, will they be able to pull off the most daring feat of all?

Our Review Panel says...

A book by Tom Palmer is a guarantee of quality. He is well known to write exciting historical adventures and makes them easy to read and genuinely accessible.

This latest book, the first of a series, is no exception. It takes place in 1940 in Cornwall and involves three children from very different backgrounds, getting to know each other and working together In the war effort and, as always, is meticulously researched. Slightly chunkier than the usual Barrington Stoke offering, it allows the story and the characters to develop nicely and for the reader to become very invested in the adventures. It is not without the horrors of war and includes a death scene which readers should be aware of.

The cover and inside illustrations, by Paul Blow, capture the danger and the excitement perfectly. The book also includes a map by James Innerdale and as I love a good map, this was a great addition. I have also visited Falmouth so some of the places mentioned were easily brought to mind as I read. Whilst the readability is probably Yeat 4 up, I would say that this would work best for Year 6 and fit in very well with the already large numbers of stories about World War 2, offering a different setting and perspective on this well known topic.

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