Seventeen-year-old Pvt. Thomas (Tommo) Peaceful stands watch through a sleepless night, recalling how he and his beloved older brother Charlie came to be soldiers in a war they do not understand. Tommo's memories introduce their close-knit family, cruel landlords, and Molly, the girl loved by both brothers. We learn that Charlie left his post to care for his injured brother, a fateful decision in the British Army, where soldiers were routinely killed for lesser offenses. As the young soldier counts the minutes to dawn, it is clear this is not going to end well.—Angelina Benedetti, "35 Going on 13," BookSmack! 8/19/10
Through all the joys and traumas of their childhood in the English countryside, Charlie was there to take care of his little brother, Tommo. When Charlie joins the army to fight in World War I, an underage Tommo signs up too. Through the horrors of war, the bigotry of social classes, and the bullying by an officer, Charlie never wavers in his protection of his brother or fellow troops. It is precisely this that gets Charlie into trouble. Written from Tommo's perspective during the night before an awful, fateful day, Tommo recounts his childhood and his relationship with his brother. Morpurgo has created a haunting story in graceful prose. His rich language brings the characters vividly to life. The shattering of innocence that occurred in the "war to end all wars" is powerfully portrayed throughout the story and in its stunning ending. This will have a strong impact on young adult readers. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 14 up.
Sharon Salluzzo
It's the longest night of young Thomas's life, as he stands watch over the battlefields of France in WW I, and he spends it thinking back on his life and trying not to think about the terrible event scheduled to take place at dawn. Thomas is only 17; he lied about his age in order to follow his beloved older brother Charlie to war. He reminisces about their childhood, the death of their father, the despotic colonel who controls their family's fate, and his first love, Molly. He also relates the misery of training to be a soldier, and the horror of shelling, gas attacks, life in the trenches, and seeing friends killed. The worst is yet to come, however, for a cruel sergeant has brought Charlie up for a court martial for refusing to leave his brother behind when Thomas is injuredand at dawn, brave, merry Charlie, Thomas's guardian and best friend, is to be shot for cowardice. This simply told, skillfully written tale has a tremendous emotional impact. A postscript and author's note at the end tells about the injustice done to men like Charlie, and gives some background on the war. Morpurgo, the author of Kensuke's Kingdom and other books for young readers as well as for adults, was recently named the Children's Laureate of England. This fine historical novel, based on Murpurgo's interviews with veterans and research trips to the battlefields, should help to build his reputation on this side of the Atlantic. KLIATT Codes: JS*Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2003, Scholastic, 208p., Ages 12 to 18.
Paula Rohrlick
Gr 7 Up-At 15, Thomas Peaceful, like many other English soldiers in World War I, is too young to fight, but he lies about his age. Now at the front in France with his older brother Charlie he stands a lonely nighttime vigil for reasons that are not explained until the book's end, watching the minutes tick by and reflecting on his past. Using first-person narration, Morpurgo draws readers into this young man's life, relating memories that are idyllic, sobering, and poignant. Tommo thinks upon the role he played in his father's accidental death, the adventures that he shared with Charlie, his relationship with his childhood friend Molly, and the experiences that he has had since entering the war. Finally, he describes how Charlie disobeyed a direct order to stay with him after he was wounded in action, fully aware of this decision's dire consequences. While this story is not based on any one individual, Morpurgo has personalized the British tactic of executing their own soldiers "for cowardice or desertion," memorializing these men without passing judgment. While readers see the events through Tommo's eyes, the author does not lose sight of the war's effects on the teen's friends and family. Reminders come in the form of letters from home, relationships with other soldiers, and observations of battles. This thoughtful novel touches on themes of humanity and duty, and features brilliant characters whose personal decisions have earned them their very own badges of honor.-Delia Fritz, Mercersburg Academy, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
From England's Children's Laureate, a searing WWI-era tale of a close extended family repeatedly struck by adversity and injustice. On vigil in the trenches, 17-year-old Thomas Peaceful looks back at a childhood marked by guilt over his father's death, anger at the shabby treatment his strong-minded mother receives from the local squire and others-and deep devotion to her, to his brain-damaged brother Big Joe, and especially to his other older brother Charlie, whom he has followed into the army by lying about his age. Weaving telling incidents together, Morpurgo surrounds the Peacefuls with mean-spirited people at home, and devastating wartime experiences on the front, ultimately setting readers up for a final travesty following Charlie's refusal of an order to abandon his badly wounded brother. Themes and small-town class issues here may find some resonance on this side of the pond, but the particular cultural and historical context will distance the story from American readers-particularly as the pace is deliberate, and the author's hints about where it's all heading are too rare and subtle to create much suspense. (Fiction. 11-13, adult)
Publishers Weekly
STARRED December 20, 2004
Cooper's (Jewish Holidays All Year 'Round) thoughtful if belabored novel centers on 12-year-old Sam, with a Jewish father and Christian mother, who feels caught in the middle-especially this holiday season. Since the family dog has pulled down the Christmas tree (or "Hanukkah bush," as his father insists they call it), presents will be arranged around the menorah, for the first time putting more emphasis on Hanukkah than Christmas. On Christmas Eve, which coincides with the first day of Hanukkah, Sam witnesses the clashing traditions of his feuding Jewish and Christian grandmothers, and he decides to ask God something that has been plaguing him: "What I want to know is, why can't people practicing different religions get along?" This question assumes greater proportions when Sam's class begins studying the Holocaust ("How could You let this happen?" he asks God), and when the boy learns they had a relative who was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. In a rather strained subplot, Sam becomes smitten with Heather, a classmate he thinks is "cute," but whose mean-spiritedness (he finally realizes) is rooted in racism. Although the narrative becomes encumbered by some rather pointed exposition and repetitious discussion, Cooper introduces a likable young protagonist and raises some searching questions about tolerance, injustice, commitment to religion and communicating with God. Ages 9-12. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Horn Book Magazine
(November 1, 2004
(Middle School, High School) An ironically named soldier, Private Thomas Peaceful, spends a sleepless night reviewing his past: "I've had nearly eighteen years of yesterdays and tomorrows, and tonight I must remember as many of them as I can." Is he on military watch? Conducting a vigil? As the hours (and chapters) tick from "five past ten" to "one minute to six" the following morning, Tommo recalls growing up in rural England at the turn of the twentieth century with his older brother, Charlie -- protector, best friend, and chief rival for the affection of their beguiling friend Molly. Exquisitely written vignettes explore bonds of brotherhood that cannot be broken by the physical and psychological horrors of the First World War. We eventually learn the reason for Tommo's sleepless night in a shattering, unexpected conclusion that is all the more effective for the stoicism with which the two brothers accept their separate but tragically entwined fates. Copyright 2004 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal
(November 1, 2004
STARRED
Gr 7 Up-At 15, Thomas Peaceful, like many other English soldiers in World War I, is too young to fight, but he lies about his age. Now at the front in France with his older brother Charlie he stands a lonely nighttime vigil for reasons that are not explained until the book's end, watching the minutes tick by and reflecting on his past. Using first-person narration, Morpurgo draws readers into this young man's life, relating memories that are idyllic, sobering, and poignant. Tommo thinks upon the role he played in his father's accidental death, the adventures that he shared with Charlie, his relationship with his childhood friend Molly, and the experiences that he has had since entering the war. Finally, he describes how Charlie disobeyed a direct order to stay with him after he was wounded in action, fully aware of this decision's dire consequences. While this story is not based on any one individual, Morpurgo has personalized the British tactic of executing their own soldiers "for cowardice or desertion," memorializing these men without passing judgment. While readers see the events through Tommo's eyes, the author does not lose sight of the war's effects on the teen's friends and family. Reminders come in the form of letters from home, rel