Why the Whales Came
Michael Morpurgo
Book summary
A mysterious island adventure where friendship, fear and compassion matter. Children encounter local suspicion, a bullying family relationship, a stranded narwhal and the disruptive shadow of war.
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Michael Morpurgo
A mysterious island adventure where friendship, fear and compassion matter. Children encounter local suspicion, a bullying family relationship, a stranded narwhal and the disruptive shadow of war.
Elizabeth Laird
This is a child-centred war story about Ayesha’s attempt to obtain help for her grandmother, set amid divided communities, danger, bereavement and family separation.
Ian Serraillier
A tense historical adventure about separated siblings and Jan, a young thief who joins them. Its strongest qualities are resourcefulness, loyalty and compassion, alongside a serious portrayal of children navigating war’s aftermath.
Robert Westall
This is an action-led wartime story in which children acquire dangerous military power and try to control events around them. Its strongest interest lies in adventure complicated by fear, loyalty and responsibility.
Nina Bawden
A thoughtful wartime story about displacement, difficult loyalties and the stories people tell to explain frightening events. It offers an accessible surface narrative alongside deeper questions about guilt, power, family conflict and how childhood experiences can endure.
Hiba Noor Khan
A tense wartime adventure about a young Muslim protagonist whose family and community face Nazi occupation. Safiyyah undertakes dangerous errands, while the mosque becomes a place of sanctuary for persecuted Jewish people.