Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Britain, is the author of War Horse, called “Superb" by the New York Times Book Review, and now a major motion picture. His other prize-winning books include Kensuke's Kingdom, Private Peaceful, and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Michael lives in Devon, England, with his wife, Clare. Together, they founded the charity Farms for City Children, which gives children from urban areas an opportunity to spend a week working on a farm in the countryside. You can find out more about him and his books at michaelmorpurgo.org.
War Horse
Paperback
$7.99
- ISBN-13: 9780439796644
- Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
- Publication date: 09/01/2010
- Pages: 176
- Sales rank: 5,480
- Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
- Age Range: 9 - 12 Years
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A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey--now available in paperback!
In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?
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"The music, folk inspired, brings depth and resonance, hooking the narrative into a wider perspective, of generations unnamed who have fought and died." —Telegraph
Children's Literature - Lois Rubin Gross
This rerelease of an excellent 1982 horse story coincides with the widely promoted Steven Spielberg movie of the same name. There is also an added author's note from 2007. Morpurgo tells a superb animal story about Joey, a red roan conscripted into the British army to act as an army mount and then as a work horse. Told in the voice of the horse, the story is comparable to Black Beauty, but the trials that Joey endures in both the British and German army, the mostly kind and attentive humans the horse meets along the way until he is reunited with his British farm boy, Alfred, also bears a resemblance to Terhune's Lassie Come Home. Joey has no trouble understanding the conversations of his handlers, whether they are English, French or German. He also learns about the horrors of war, the same in any language. Over a million horses were killed in World War I before war became fully mechanized, so Joey is involved in close in fighting, with big guns just feet away from the enemy. He may not understand the conflict for which he has been recruited, but his observations explain to young readers how war is not healthy for living things. His first mounted officer is shot leading a charge. His best friend, a magnificent black named Tranthorn, is worked to death. Joey is saved by the convenient but indeed beautiful reunion with his original owner, Albert, a farm boy turned veterinary aide. For me, the most moving scene is two warring soldiers, in the middle of No Man's Land, flipping a coin to settle ownership and Joey's fate in a totally non-violent means of agreement. With wide movie promotion, this book will be requested immediately. Joey's journey through war to peace is an excellent story with great heart. Reviewer: Lois Rubin GrossSchool Library Journal
Gr 5–8—Since he was a young colt, Joey has been loved and cared for by Alber, a young English farm boy. At the beginning of Wold War I, Albert's father sells Joey to a captain in the cavalry. The boy is devastated and promises Joey that someday he will find him. Joey experiences army life and the disastrous consequences of a cavalry charge into machine guns. He is captured as a prisoner of war and becomes a hospital cart transport horse for the German army. The he's used by the German soldiers to pull gun carts through the muddy trenches. Joey bolts after his friend Topflight dies. He ends up in no-man's land between the trenches. By a coin toss, he becomes again the property of the English. Joey is taken to a veterinary hospital where he is reunited with Albert. As the soldiers from both sides of the conflict share their thoughts and feelings with Joey, listeners get unique and perceptive views of World War I. John Keating's' different accents are pitch perfect as he draws listeners into the story (Scholastic, 1982) by Michael Morpurgo. An excellent choice for fans of historical fiction.—Samantha Larsen Hastings, Riverton Library, UT