November 1920. The body of an unknown soldier is to be buried at Westminster Abbey. The war has claimed the lives of thousands of men whose bodies will never make it home, and the Unknown Warrior will represent them all. As hundreds of people crowd to Westminster Abbey, Daisy knows she has to make it to the ceremony. Because although they call the warrior ‘unknown’, she is sure that he is her father…
This classroom classic by award-winning Michael Morpurgo is an animal story set in World War 1. We love this new abridged edition of Morpurgo’s classic text, with colour illustrations by Tom Clohosy Cole.
This moving story explores the themes of military animals, conflict, peace and friendship. Some readers may be surprised to discover how horses were used in the war, and the mirrored experiences of the human and the animal reflect the consequences of conflict for both humanity and the wider natural world.
Older readers might like to use this as a companion to the original, longer text, or to explore it as a standalone. The combination of words and pictures is brilliantly brought together, with the use of light and dark in the illustrations bringing the story to life in an almost cinematic way.
Taking us back to first world war London, Rebecca Stevens delivers a tale of war, family and friendships but above all an inspirational story of ladies’ football.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and realistic portrayal of a young woman’s plight during the First World War, the danger of the chemicals that some women were exposed to, the empowerment of women during this time and the realisation, once the war is over, that life would never be the same again.
In the small town of Whitby, everybody is preparing to do their part to support the war, including schoolgirl Evie and her little sister Kitty. Following the death of their younger brother, the two young girls find themselves thrust into school life, just as the war takes hold. Based on the real-life bombing of Whitby in 1914, this story is full of loss, love and hope.
This is a scrapbook-style text by the popular author-illustrator Marcia Williams. It recounts the experiences of a ten-year-old boy during the war, who uses clippings and comic strips to explain his own experiences. Humorous and moving, this book offers a wonderful insight into what life might have been like for children living through World War 1.
From the author of the popular story Vlad and the Great Fire of London comes the next adventure of Vlad the flea, this time set on the Western Front in 1918. Vlad helps a carrier pigeon to deliver a top secret message from behind enemy lines, taking in the sites of the war as they travel.
This picture book tells the remarkable story of a group of soldiers in the trenches who play a football match with others from the opposing trenches, during a rare pause in the fighting at Christmas time. Illustrated with water colour pictures, this is a highly recommended picture book that is popular in KS2 classrooms. You may also like War Boy by the same author.
A collection of twelve fictionalised accounts that express the viewpoints and experiences of a range of different people during the First World War. Story themes include life in the trenches, the impact of war on those at home and medical workers trying to save lives in the midst of destruction. These short stories make interesting read-alouds for KS2.
Part of the very popular Horrible Histories series, this book allows children to uncover all of the gory and foul facts about the First World War. This edition has been redesigned in 2016, giving a fresh appeal to a classroom classic.
What do you do when you find out that your mother is a spy? This is exactly what happens to Aimee, a young French girl in the year 1918. Aimee befriends a German boy called Marius and what follows is a thrilling adventure of a friendship that survives despite the heavy shadow of war that poses danger at every turn. A gripping story suitable for upper KS2.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
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Curriculum links (if relevant)
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