Branching Out: Books for Fans of Michael Morpurgo

A beautifully heartfelt and moving story with strong environmental themes. This story highlights the topic of global warming, but also draws a picture of the wonderful connection that can develop between children and animals.

When April heads to a remote Arctic island with her father, who is there for scientific research, she’s not sure exactly what to expect. The trip to ‘Bear Island’ has the potential to be a very lonely trip – with endless summer Arctic nights, an isolated wilderness and, according to her father, no actual polar bears left on the island for April to spot despite its name.

Surprisingly, April encounters a real polar bear on the island when nobody else is around. Isolated from his family, the bear is starving and alone, with nobody to help him. Over time, a friendship develops and April becomes more determined than ever to save the bear. 

There’s something magical about this story – from the wonderfully evoked Arctic setting to the glorious friendship that develops between April and the bear. This is a powerful and important story that will stir the heart through its gently unfolding message that places hope in the hands of the young to make a difference in the planet’s future.

This is the first novel in Lauren St John’s popular series. When a young English girl called Martine moves to live with her grandmother on a South African game reserve, she finds herself feeling lonely and isolated. One night she sees a mysterious silver giraffe and as she begins to befriend it, a thrilling mystery begins to unravel.

Jimmy and his younger brother Ronnie are evacuees. They find themselves with their schoolmates on a train to a small village in a valley in Wales, a world away from home in Islington, London. The country is at war, but that’s not all Jimmy is worried about. He would rather be back with Dad and Nan than stuck with strangers in this odd place. Jimmy feels the separation from home more keenly than his younger brother and is very protective of Ronnie. Jimmy is reluctant to trust his new family, even though they are welcoming and kind. When he finds a skull hidden in a tree, he begins to uncover secrets in the valley that had been kept hidden for years. Together with his brother and a new friend, he sets about uncovering the truth.

This book is about so much more than the evacuee experience. It is a book about friendships, trust and learning to let people in. It is not as emotionally brutal as Goodnight Mister Tom. The book is rich in historical detail about everything from food, religion and household routines to the importance of coal mining in the Welsh rural communities.

Thinking and talking about war with children is difficult. Is war exciting? Are all soldiers brave? Is playing war games violent? When is killing other people justified?

These are the sorts of questions raised by Jack, the eleven year old boy at the centre of Tom Palmer’s new story, D-Day Dog. Jack’s dad is a reserve soldier about to be called up to Afghanistan and Jack couldn’t be more proud. At school, the class is preparing for a trip to Normandy to visit the site of the D-Day landings and Jack is already really excited.

But as Jack learns more about war, through learning about the life of his new Syrian classmate Kasandra and reading about WW2 Private Emile Corteil and his dog Glen, he begins to question everything he thought he knew about war.

This is such an important book to read to all children who are learning about war and the impact it has on the lives of the people and animals involved. Through the voice of Jack, Tom Palmer sensitively yet unflinchingly discusses the consequences and emotions involved in warfare. Brilliantly researched, the book is full of fascinating facts which are woven together to create a truly moving and gripping read.

Dyslexia-friendly in a clear, uncluttered font, this is a must-read for all 9-12-year-olds, not just in this year on the commemoration of the D-Day landings. Reading aloud to a whole class would allow the children to discuss the plot and the questions as they are unveiled through the story. It would also work well as a read-alone book or one to read at bedtime. But, do leave time for conversations afterwards. The ideas and issues contained within this simple and compelling story are too important to gloss over.

As a fan of Ewa Josefkowicz’s debut The Mystery of the Colour Thief published last year (see our review here), I was pleased to hear about the arrival of her new newest story. This one shares a number of themes with the first book – friendship, bullying, finding courage to do the right thing and valuing the stories and experiences of other people – but this time weaves in a new thread of World War II history into the mix.

Kat is a young teenager who uses her spare time to create comic strip stories based on her fictional superhero ‘Girl 38′. At school, things become tricky for Kat with friendship issues. Meanwhile at home she strikes up a friendship with her elderly neighbour, Ania, and begins to learn about Ania’s experiences of growing up in Poland during World War II. Kat listens intently to each instalment of Ania’s story, from the time soldiers forced her to separate from her family and leave her village to the time she hid in a bakery near to where her best friend was being held in a concentration camp. As Ania’s powerful history unfolds, Kat feels challenged to find courage of her own to stand up for what is right and confront Gem’s bullying behaviour.

The three strands of Kat’s story, the Girl 38 plot and Ania’s tale weave together beautifully and mirror each other in a way that demonstrates how valuing the stories and experiences of others can enrich our own lives. With convincingly drawn characters, relatable issues and important values at its heart, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that would suit readers transitioning from Upper KS2 to Lower KS3.

This chapter book story is set in 1922, around the time that Howard Carter famously excavated Tutankhamun’s tomb. Thirteen-year-old Lilian joins a voyage to Egypt to the very heart of Howard Carter’s fascinating discoveries.

Woven into Lilian’s story are letters from Ancient Egyptian times, detailing the last days of the young Sun King and his closest friends, revealing stories of humanity and vulnerability. Much like the tomb’s treasures, there is a strong sense that these stories from the past should only fall into the hands of people willing to treat them responsibly and act with due respect to the original owners.

Rich in historical details about Ancient Egypt and moving at a pleasing pace, this is a gripping story with plenty of mystery to get stuck into. Dynamics of race and gender are explored compassionately, and this aspect of the book has the potential to lead to some promising discussions in the classroom.