These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.
Claire Mulligan - Author
A gripping wartime adventure built around an unlikely friendship. Robert and David’s shared displacement creates empathy and emotional depth, while espionage, pursuit and cliffhangers provide momentum.
Robert and David have both been removed from familiar homes, and their friendship develops through mutual support and shared experiences.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: The friendship is presented positively, with trust, kindness and emotional support at its centre.
Talk about: What do the boys learn from recognising each other’s different experiences of being away from home?
Children affected by war
Robert is evacuated from London, while David reaches Britain through Kindertransport and is separated from family members amid persecution.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: The story focuses on individual children’s experiences of wartime upheaval rather than presenting war only as distant history.
Talk about: How might evacuation or forced migration affect a child’s sense of home and safety?
Antisemitic persecution
David is a Jewish refugee from Germany whose family has been endangered by Nazi actions, and he is pursued because of a codebook hidden in his suitcase.Strongly criticalStrongly critical: the book clearly condemns this theme.Strongly critical: the book clearly condemns this theme.
How the book presents it: Persecution is presented through David’s fear, losses and flight, with sympathy directed towards him rather than towards Nazi ideology.
Talk about: How does the story distinguish responsibility for persecution from the experiences of children caught up in it?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
It may suit a child who enjoys historical mysteries and danger, or who wants fiction that opens discussion about evacuation, Kindertransport, prejudice, belonging and life during wartime.
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What Deserves Attention
The book includes antisemitic persecution, separation from parents, bereavement, forced flight, cruel foster care, bullying, nightmares, bed-wetting and threats from a Nazi agent. Suspense is repeatedly described as tense or sinister.
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A Conversation Worth Having
How do Robert and David respond differently to losing familiar homes and people, and what helps their friendship grow? If the chase feels frightening, which moments change that feeling?
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Reading Approach
Consider reading alongside the child, pausing after tense sections to check in. Afterwards, discuss safety, belonging and how war affects children without requiring personal disclosure.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Friendship across displacement: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Children affected by war: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Antisemitic persecution: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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