BLURB:
When war comes to London in 1939, Ronnie Smith is scared and excited: scared of the bombs that fall at night, but excited to race his friends to collect the best bits of shrapnel every morning.
But for Ronnie, the battles aren't just in the sky and on the streets. They're at school and at home too. His little brother is up to no good with a secret job and dangerous new friends, and Ronnie's worried he's getting himself into big trouble.
Ronnie's desperate to help his little brother. But he isn't expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the whole war...
My review:
Just to be clear and honest, I already love Jenny Pearson's books...laugh out loud fun, adeptly catching the voices and issues of children in pitch-perfect prose, they're all popular in school, and with good reason, but this latest work takes her writing to another level in my eyes. It's superb, and I feel very very lucky to have had the privilege to read an early copy.
I love WW2 books....something about the action, the drama, the familiar settings, spies and soldiers...all makes them a favourite for me, and so I was already looking forward to this when the proof copy ( and how stunning it is!) landed on the mat. What followed as I read was definitely familiar territory....London in the Blitz, evacuation, family members missing and feared for, but with the added twist of an incrediblyinsidious villain in 'Johnny', and an amazingly written main character in Ronnie, who seems to be the only one who can see the evil Johnny for what he really is!
This has all the brilliant ingredients I love about Jenny's books: the fun, adventure-seeking and cheeky nature of children and their attitudes (especially the repartee and competition between the boys), friendship tested and loyalty rewarded, and serious issues and feelings treated and dealt with honestly but thoughtfully; the complex relationships between children and adults portrayed brilliantly.
This book still has all these, but it also takes a far more serious tone in dealing with anti-Semitic views and the insidious creeping influence of newcomer Johnny turning friends and family against each other through his manipulation and poisonous views.
Surprisingly contemporary and relevant today, despite the WW2 setting, in this exploration of recruitment into gangs, right wing views and child exploitation, this is an absolutely brilliant story of right and wrong, bravery and honesty, and staying true to values no matter how hard it may be. I loved everything about it....I think it's an easy early shout as my book of the year. Loved it.
The author:
Jenny Pearson has been awarded six mugs, one fridge magnet, one wall plaque and numerous cards for her role as Best Teacher in the World. When she is not busy being inspirational in the classroom, she would like nothing more than to relax with her two young boys, but she can't as they view her as a human climbing frame. Jenny has been shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Week Junior Book Award and was the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Award.
A huge thanks to Usborne and Fritha for sending me this beautiful shiny proof copy so I can be a very lucky early reader!
Find out more and order a copy at:
Review and post by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot) February 2025
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