Cuckoo Summer

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Tommy’s learned some of her Geordie speech patterns, enough to know that the German gadgie she’s discovered in the woods is the airman who’s parachuted out of the plane crashed in Woundale woods. Given that Earle wrote WHEN THE SKY FALLS, one of my favourite wartime stories, as well as the more recently published WHILE THE STORM RAGES, which I also thoroughly enjoyed, my expectations were high. Thrust into the drama of the Second World War, you’re thrown into an adventure with Tommy and Sally, who discover an injured German airmen and conspire to keep him safe from those who would shoot him on sight.

Tommy and his evacuee friend Sally find an injured German airman close to their home in the Lake District. Characters that have individual voices and personalities; a landscape that is as vibrant and interesting as the story; real danger; risk taking; hope, trust, friendship. There's also the titular cuckoo, a gentle reminder of time passing through the countryside and a nice metaphor for the story arc. Sally, despite her carefree attitude to life and her situation, displays a kindness to the injured enemy that is touching. But there is plenty for teachers and adults to explore with readers, including underlying themes of prejudice and poverty.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling.

Rebecca is a committee member of the National Association of Advisers in English (NAAE) and a member of the Academic Advisory Board for Bookmark (volunteer reading charity). They hide him, from the Home Guard, the leader of whom is a man who fought in WW1, and has become bitter and twisted. Your words, like your reviews, bring books to life and give them a voice before the front cover is even turned.I’m pretty sure that this is the only children’s novel that mentions the hidden treasure of betony, lady’s bedstraw and hare’s-foot clover. I would thoroughly recommend it to children in Years 4 to 6 who enjoy a darn good story - it's perfect for fans of Phil Earle, Emma Carroll and Helen Peters - and I'll be looking out for more books by Jonathan Tulloch. Against all odds, the navigator escapes by parachute, landing in a remote dale where he is discovered by local boy, Tommy, and evacuee, Sally. Initially, the plot appears straightforward, but it is the relationship between Tommy and Sally which holds the magic to this story. This starts a chain of events that leads to the uncovering of secrets about Sally's past and a summer of adventure that neither child will ever forget.