BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
Last week marked the publication of The Swallows’ Flight (available here) – Hilary McKay’s stunning companion novel to the Costa Award-winning The Skylarks’ War. The new story takes the reader on with the next generation of characters.
Read on for a review ofThe Swallows’ Flight, an extract of the first chapter and a giveaway to win one of five copies.
Book Title:The Swallows’ Flight (available here)
Author: Hilary McKay
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: May 2021
Most Suitable For: Upper KS2+
Reviewed by: Julie Bennett
Review
The Swallows’ Flight is described as a companion novel to Hilary McKay’s 2018 novel, The Skylarks’ War. It also works as a standalone and this book can be read with no knowledge of the companion book.
The story starts in 1931 and, in separate chapters, we are introduced to the characters: Erik and Hans, schoolboys from Berlin; Ruby, who lives with her family in Plymouth; Kate, from Oxford; and Dog, who lives in a scrapyard in East London. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular character and their lives. The early chapters of the book show how the children go about their daily lives, but the impending threat of war looms over them all. For Ruby and Kate, there are brothers who start to prepare for their roles in the conflict. For Erik and Hans, we see how they become drawn in to training as pilots for the Luftwaffe.
As the war starts, the lives of the children – now teenagers – all change in different ways and eventually become intertwined, along with Dog. The realities of war are not downplayed; readers are shown the impact of the war on residents of Berlin as well as on the families in Britain. Family ties are a strong theme throughout and as the war tears families apart, we see how the strength of a family can also bring people together.
This deeply powerful story is a glorious snap-shot in time, inviting the reader to marvel at the emotions and relationships as if discovering an old family photo album from the 1930s. The steady pace of the tale gives readers a chance to absorb everything that is happening. The characters are well-created and family life is depicted in a realistic way.
This would be a great book to use alongside a World War Two topic in schools, showing the impact of war on different groups of people.
You can order The Swallows’ Flight from Amazon or Bookshop.Org.
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***Extract***
Click here to read the first chapter of The Swallows’ Flight.
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***Book Giveaway***
Thanks to the publishers at Macmillan, we have FIVE copies of The Swallows’ Flight to give away to our followers.
There are two ways to enter:
1. Twitter entry – To enter, follow @booksfortopics and RT the giveaway tweet.
2. Instagram entry – Follow @booksfortopics on Instagram & TAG in the giveaway post‘s comments a friend who may also like to win this book for their home or school library.
You can enter both ways for two entries! Giveaway closes 11.59pm 7th June 2021 (UK) — terms and conditions here.
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Many thanks to the publishers for sending us a review copy and to Review Panel member Julie for reviewing. Check out the other stops on the blog tour, too.
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Where next? >
Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
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> View our printable year group booklists.
> See our Books of the Month.
