Michael Morpurgo

The magical sequel to ‘War Horse’, soon to be a major motion picture.

Joey was the last working horse on the farm, and the apple of Grandpa’s eye. In War Horse, Joey was sent away from the farm to be a warhorse in WWI. Grandpa had joined the cavalry in order to find, and fight, with Joey. Farm Boy brings us forward fifty years with Grandpa not only telling his grandson, Joey’s story but also a ‘shameful secret’ which he has held for years…

The story is set in Iddesleigh in Devon and lovingly evokes the bonds between farm and farmer; grandson and grandfather. The spirit of rural life is superbly captured in both Michael Morpurgo’s writing and Michael Foreman’s illustrations.

This number 1 bestselling book is the incredibly moving story of one horse’s experience in the deadly chaos of the First World War. In 1914, Joey, a young farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges towards the enemy, witnessing the horror of the frontline. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey’s courage touches the soldiers around him.

A stunning paperback collection of classic Morpurgo novels set in World War I, World War II and the Afghanistan conflict.

Told in the voice of a young soldier, Private Peaceful follows twenty-four hours in his life at the front during WW I, capturing his memories as he looks back over his life. It’s both a love story and a deeply moving account of the horrors of the First World War.

In An Elephant in the Garden, Elizabeth’s father is fighting on the eastern front in WW II and her mother is working at Dresden zoo when the bombs start to fall. Their home destroyed, Elizabeth’s family must flee through the wintery landscape, avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough, without an elephant in tow…

Shadow is the story of Aman, a boy from Afghanistan fleeing the horror of war. A western dog shows up outside the caves where Aman lives with his mother. When they finally decide to make a bid for freedom, Shadow will not leave their side. The destinies of boy and dog are linked, always.

The life of Michael Morpurgo, as a biography, and autobiographical stories.

Michael Morpurgo is a Pied Piper. Through books such as ‘Private Peaceful’, ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ and ‘The Wreck of the Zanzibar’ he has enchanted a whole generation of children, weaving stories for them in a way that is neither contrived nor condescending. His is a rare gift.

But it is not only children he holds in thrall. In 2007, Michael’s novel ‘War Horse’ was adapted for the stage by the National Theatre. Five years on, it continues to play to packed audiences of all ages in the West End and New York, and later this year it will tour America, as well as opening in Toronto and Australia. Steven Spielberg, meantime, has made it into a film. The story of a Devon horse requisitioned by the army and sent to the Western Front has made Michael Morpurgo a household name.

Michael’s own story is as strange and surprising as any he has written, and is shot through with the same thread of sadness found in almost all his work. How did this unbookish boy who dreamed of becoming an army officer become a bestselling author instead? What personal price has he paid for success? And why, amidst his triumphs, is he now haunted by regret?

In a unique collaboration, Maggie Fergusson explores Michael Morpurgo’s life through seven biographical chapters, to which he responds with seven stories. Between them they paint a picture of light and shade: the light very bright, the shade complex and often painful.

Believing in magic makes dreams come true…

Jackie dreams of having a horse of her own, one that’ll be the fastest on the estate, the fastest in all Ireland and the fastest in the world. Mum dreams of a little cottage in the country for her and Jackie to live in. What they get is a garden gnome that Jackie finds in a rubbish skip; one she lovingly repairs and paints; a gnome she calls Mr Skip. And Jackie soon discovers that with Mr Skip, anything is possible.

This is a tender, lyrical tale inspired by the author’s childhood in an idyllic English village, with environmental and conservational themes. In this involving tale, master storyteller Michael Morpurgo tells of a boyhood in an idyllic Suffolk village fifty years ago. The village is a stone’s throw from the sea, with a gull on every chimney stack, and is peopled by quirky characters such as the three Stebbing sisters, the white moustachioed Colonel Burton and Bennie the village thug. But the heroine of this story is the serene Mrs. Pettigrew, who lives in a railway carriage down in the marshes with her dogs, donkey, bees and hens - and who befriends the young Michael and lets him ride over the marshes on her donkey. But industrial reality intrudes when plans are made to build a nuclear power station on the site of the marshes, endangering Mrs. Pettigrew’s home and the gulls, owls, kestrels and thousands of insects and plants which also belong there. There ensues a village battle for and against the environmental hazard of the power station, and the young Michael finds himself caught up in the sad fate of Mrs. Pettigrew and the landscape of his boyhood. This is evocatively illustrated by Peter Bailey.

Eloise has always loved Joan of Arc. Noble, honest and brave, she was everything Eloise wishes to be. And on a bright sunny day in Orleans, Eloise has a very special daydream…

A superb re-imagining of Joan of Arc by master storyteller and author of War Horse.

“There was only one creature on this earth who really knew Joan. He was a sparrow, just an ordinary sparrow…He was her best friend on this earth, maybe her only friend, too.”

A young girl faces an impossible task – to save her beloved France from tyrants. To free her country, Joan will lose everyone she has ever loved. But she listens to her heart and believes in her calling.

Through patience, perseverance and unbreakable spirit, Joan of Arc leads armies to victory and finds the strength to face the cruellest of destinies.

After a fierce storm, a boy discovers a human skull, buried beneath the roots of an ancient tree. A skull with a legendary story…

Vivid re-imagining of the legendary hero Robin Hood by bestselling author of War Horse.

“Tell the sheriff, tell Sir Guy of Gisbourne, tell everyone in Nottingham, that the Outlaws rule here in Sherwood, that we rule in the king’s name… I am Robin Hood.”

Homeless and lost in a dark, strange forest, young Robin is rescued by a motley crew of misfits. He yearns to avenge his father and seek justice against cruel oppressors, to finally defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham, once and for all.

And through his friends, Robin Hood finds the courage to become a legendary hero.

Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket – Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky’s things to her room.

But Johnny didn’t expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny – and Kaspar – all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around.

A stunning and moving novel from Michael Morpurgo, the nation’s favourite storyteller – featuring the bravest dog in all the world…

This is the story of Aman, as told in his own words – a boy from Afghanistan fleeing the horror of the Afghan war. When a western dog shows up outside the caves where Aman lives with his mother, Aman is initially repulsed – it is not customary for people to keep dogs as pets in his part of the world. But when Aman and his mother finally decide to make a bid for freedom, the dog Aman has called Shadow will not leave their side. Soon it becomes clear: the destinies of boy and dog are linked, and always will be…

Poor old Mossop wants to curl up and sleep – he feels too old to chase the mice away from Farmer Rafferty’s barn. But that’s his job, and the farmer threatens to throw him out unless he can catch 26 mice by sunset. Can he do it? Perhaps Albertine, the goose, will come up with a plan ...

A thrilling and moving novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion.

A thrilling and moving new novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion…

It’s 1944. Elizabeth’s father is fighting with the German army on the eastern front. Her mother works at Dresden zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene. When the zoo director tells her the dangerous animals must be shot to prevent them running amok if the town is bombed, Elizabeth’s mother moves Marlene into the back garden to save her… and then the bombs start to fall.

Their home destroyed, Elizabeth and her family must flee the bombed-out city and through the wintery landscape, all the while avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough, without an elephant in tow…

In the Imperial War Museum is a wooden Dachshund, carved by a German prisoner of war for the children of the British family with which he stayed after the fighting ended. This is the story of how it got there…

When the Bismarck sinks, one of the only German survivors is taken on board a British ship as a prisoner of war. Sent to live with a host family, Walter must adapt to a new way of life, in the heart of an enemy country. Gradually, though, he finds a friend in ten-year-old Grace. So when the time finally comes to go back to Germany, it’s an emotional parting, with Walter leaving Grace with only a carved wooden dog to remember him by. The question is, will Walter and Grace ever meet again? In 1966, with the World Cup coming to Britain, that opportunity may just have come along…

When Stevie Rooster is mean about Nick’s old dog dying, Nick throws Stevie’s best conker into the pond. But Grandma says there’s a better way to get back at Stevie - become Conker King of Jubilee Park.  In the scrapyard where the conker tree grows, Nick finds a skinny, starving dog who looks like his old pet. Can Nick rescue the dog and become conker champion?

A contemporary classic collection of war-themed novels by former Children’s Laureate.

Three captivating tales from master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo. Packaged as an attractive slipcased set containing:

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

The year is 1943. The setting is the seaside village of Slapton, Devon, for this moving story which is a subtle blend of history and human and animal relationships. Suddenly the villagers, together with families from six neighbouring villages totalling 3000, are ordered to move out so that US troups can practice their landings in preparation for D-Day, when the forces will invade France.

Private Peaceful

Young Thomas Peaceful looks back over his childhood memories from the battlefields of the First World War. But the clock is ticking, and every moment Tommo spends remembering, means another moment closer to something that will change his life forever.

Toro! Toro!

Antonito lives an idyllic life on his parents’ bull farm in Spain. But the idyll is shattered when he realises that his beloved bull calf, Paco, is destined for the bloody struggle of the bull ring. What can he do…?

When 10-year-old Will’s father dies in the Iraq war, his mother surprises him with a trip to Indonesia. But little could she have known what awaited them both there.

At first Will knows that something is wrong is when Oona, the elephant he is riding along the beach, begins to spook. Then, suddenly, she takes off into the jungle with Will on her back. And that’s when Will sees the wave come crashing in! With his mother almost certainly drowned, with nothing to cling on to but an elephant and nothing to help him but the clothes on his back, Will faces a terrifying future. But maybe the jungle and Oona the elephant, can help him!

An epic and heart-rending jungle adventure.

When a young boy gets a reputation for being naughty at school, he reacts by being the bad lad that everyone expects. Leaving school at fourteen, he becomes a thief and eventually ends up in Hollesley Prison. But Mr Alfie, the stable manager, decides to give the boy a chance, letting him look after the horses. Can this bad lad’s skill with horses save him from a life of crime and help him achieve his dreams?

Lula always likes me to go with her to the end of the lane. She loves a bit of a cuddle and a lick or two before the school bus comes. ‘Oh Russ’, she whispers. ‘A horse. It’s all I want for my birthday.’ And I’m thinking – ‘Scuse me, but what’s so great about a horse? Isn’t a dog good enough.’ Michael’s story is an energetic romp through a dog’s busy day on a farm. Russ, the sheepdog, herds sheep and cows and plots against Tigger, the farm cat. He covers Lula, his master’s daughter, with lots of slobbery licks but when she gets a special birthday present, he worries that she might love it more than him…

Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket – Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky’s things to her room.

But Johnny didn’t expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny – and Kaspar – all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he’s Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic…

A television reporter’s extraordinary experience in the West Bank reveals how children’s hopes and dreams for peace and unity can fly higher than any wall built to divide communities and religions.
Travelling to the West Bank to witness how life is for Palestinians and Jews living in the shadow of a dividing wall, journalist Max strikes up a friendship with an enigmatic Palestinian boy, Said. Together the two sit under an ancient olive tree while Said makes another of his kites. As Max is welcomed as a guest, he learns of the terrible events in the family’s past and begins to understand why Said no longer speaks.
Told from both Max’s and Said’s points of view, this is a beautiful tale of tragedy and hope with an ending that rings with joy.

A story can bring love and laughter, sorrow and tears. But to save a life…That will require the greatest story of all. When the Prince and the Princess marry, joy rings out across the land. But all too soon it fades away and a shadow hangs over the royal palace. As Christmas approaches, Prince Frederico must find a way to warm his new bride’s aching heart.

Three unforgettable novels about animals by award-winning former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, beautifully packaged as classic gift set.

Luxury gift edition box set of three best-selling Michael Morpurgo animal adventures:

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

The year is 1943. The setting is the seaside village of Slapton, Devon, for this moving story which is a subtle blend of history and human and animal relationships. Suddenly the villagers, together with families from six neighbouring villages totalling 3000, are ordered to move out so that US troops can practice their landings in preparation for D-Day, when the forces will invade France.

The Butterfly Lion

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again…

Born to Run

For Best Mate, being rescued from drowning as a young puppy is only the start of his adventures. From unwanted burden to favourite companion, and from pet to champion race dog, this remarkable greyhound proves that it’s not just cats who have more than one life.
the perfect present for younger readers keen to learn more about the world around them through powerfully imaginative stories.

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm…

Six fantastic stories in one volume!

Mossop’s Last Chance:

“There’s mice in my barley sacks, there’s rats in my roof and now there’s mice in the corn bin. This time I’ve had enough. If you aren’t up to the job, you will have to go.”

Mossop the old farm cat likes to sleep – and not much else! So when Farmer Rafferty tells him to catch twenty-six mice by sunset, all the animals have to pull together to give Mossop one last chance…

Albertine, Goose Queen:

A fox is on the loose, and all the animals except Albertine the goose have hidden themselves inside. Albertine is safe on her island in the pond – at least so she thinks, until the fox starts swimming towards her…

Jigger’s Day Off:

Jigger the sheepdog has just one day off a year. Just one day to chase all those little animals hiding in the corn. But even the best made plans can go wrong…

Pigs Might Fly!:

It’s a long hot summer, and Pintsize the piglet wonders if it might be cooler in the sky. But when he tries to fly, he annoys just about everyone. It’s time he learned his lesson…

Martians at Mudpuddle Farm:

Have Martians landed on Mudpuddle Farm? Farmer Rafferty seems to think so. Now it’s up to Albertine, Goose Queen, to work it out. Luckily she’s the cleverest goose in the whole world, so if anyone knows what to do, she will…

Mum’s the Word:

Something strange is going on at Mudpuddle Farm. Egbert the goat is not himself at all. Instead of grumbling, he’s singing and dancing! And he’s even greedier than usual…

Billy was a champion soccer star, playing for Chelsea in the 1930s. But that was before war broke out…

Billy the Kid is told through the voice of an 80 year old man, who looks back on his life as Chelsea’s champion striker until the outbreak of war in 1939 and on through his subsequent life. Billy joins Chelsea as a football apprentice, rises through the reserves to become a real champion. His passion for football sees him through the war years – even as a prisoner of war he organises a friendly against the Italians – but, having been injured by a mine he cannot play for Chelsea on his return to England. Billy turns to vagrancy and alcohol and for years he wanders up and down the country. He re-settles in London in a derelict house and is befriended by a family who move him to a shed in their garden. He, in turn, helps their son with his football who in his turn becomes a Chelsea player. Billy becomes a Chelsea Pensioner and his 80th birthday is celebrated when Chelsea play at home.

A gentle and deeply moving story of a young girl and her bear, told with great charm by a master storyteller.

High in the mountains, in a tiny village, an abandoned bear cub is adopted by a lonely orphan child. Soon they are inseparable, beloved by the whole village – safe, until the arrival of a glamorous film crew who need a dancing bear…

A fictional account of the day a whale swam up the Thames, in which the whale makes an environmental plea to the boy who first sees him.

At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him – one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world. The whale warns that the earth’s days are numbered and that humans must put right the damage they are doing, but how can Michael fulfil his promise to tell others when neither his teacher nor his classmates will believe his story? Within hours, the city and the wider world have learned of London’s remarkable visitor, and all eyes are on the whale’s struggle against the receding tide. Michael must now join his new friend in a race against time to reach the ocean, and hold fast to his promise in the race to save the world itself.

This special birthday book has new and previously published pieces by today’s most acclaimed children’s writers, and extracts from well-loved children’s literature, all accompanied by stunning artwork from leading illustrators.

The collection includes stories, poems, fiction and non-fiction extracts – all specially chosen around the theme of birthdays and all with introductions by authors and celebrities. Royalties will go to the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, which works closely with local and national arts providers (like theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries) and schools to provide high quality and sustained access to the arts for children who would otherwise not have this access.

This anthology gathers together some of the best-known authors and illustrators writing and illustrating for children, including: Philip Ardagh; Peter Bailey; Nicola Bayley; Ian Beck; Patrick Benson; Anna Bhushan; Malorie Blackman; Quentin Blake; Valerie Bloom; Lewis Carroll; Emma Chichester Clark; Eoin Colfer; Susan Cooper; Frank Cottrell-Boyce; and, Kevin Crossley-Holland. Others include Roald Dahl, Alexis Deacon, Maura Dooley, Sara Fanelli, Anne Fine, Hannah Firmin, Catherine Fisher, Michael Foreman, John Foster, Jamila Gavin, David Gentleman, Emily Gravett, Anthony Horowitz, Norman Hunter, Eva Ibbotson, Bruce Ingman, John Lawrence, Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom, Geraldine McCaughrean, Roger McGough, Michael Morpurgo, Andrew Motion, E. Nesbit, Philip Pullman, Arthur Ransome, Chris Riddell, David Roberts, J. K. Rowling, Axel Scheffler, Nick Sharratt, Posy Simmonds, Joel Stewart, Noel Streatfeild, Eleanor Updale, Charlotte Voake, Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Wormell, and Kit Wright.

A gripping retelling of a children’s classic story for the new generation.

No child ever forgets the story of the witch, the breadcrumb trail and the gingerbread house in the forest. Michael Morpurgo takes the Brothers Grimm classic to a new level, weaving from these themes a rich fairytale tapestry of hunger and hope, cruelty and courage. With breath-taking illustrations by the celebrated Emma Chichester Clark, this edition of Hansel and Gretel will grip the imagination of a whole new generation of children.

Reviews

“Draws on the idea of hope and courage within the story, making it much more than a simple fairy tale.” A Patchwork of Books blog “Adds interesting twists. Don’t be fooled by the sparkly gingerbread house on the cover. This version is plenty scary.” The News Tribune

Four unforgettable novels by award-winning former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, beautifully packaged as classic gift set.

Luxury gift edition box set of four best-selling Michael Morpurgo novels:

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

The year is 1943. The setting is the seaside village of Slapton, Devon, for this moving story which is a subtle blend of history and human and animal relationships. Suddenly the villagers, together with families from six neighbouring villages totalling 3000, are ordered to move out so that US troups can practice their landings in preparation for D-Day, when the forces will invade France.

The Butterfly Lion

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again…

Private Peaceful

Young Thomas Peaceful looks back over his childhood memories from the battlefields of the First World War. But the clock is ticking, and every moment Tommo spends remembering, means another moment closer to something that will change his life forever.

Toro! Toro!

Antonito lives an idyllic life on his parents’ bull farm in Spain. But the idyll is shattered when he realises that his beloved bull calf, Paco, is destined for the bloody struggle of the bull ring. What can he do…?

The perfect present for younger readers keen to learn more about the world around them through powerfully imaginative stories.

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm…

Two fantastic stories in one volume!

Martians at Mudpuddle Farm:

Have Martians landed on Mudpuddle Farm? Farmer Rafferty seems to think so. Now it’s up to Albertine, Goose Queen, to work it out. Luckily she’s the cleverest goose in the whole world, so if anyone knows what to do, she will…

Mum’s the Word:

Something strange is going on at Mudpuddle Farm. Egbert the goat is not himself at all. Instead of grumbling, he’s singing and dancing! And he’s even greedier than usual…

The bag wasn’t just drifting gently along, it was turning of its own accord. There was something inside it, squeaking and squealing in terror. Patrick didn’t think about it. He shrugged off his school bag and leapt into the canal.

For Best Mate, being rescued from drowning as a young puppy is only the start of his adventures. From unwanted burden to favourite companion, and from pet to champion race dog, this remarkable greyhound proves that it’s not just cats who have more than one life. Cast aside, kidnapped, adopted or living rough on the streets, Best Mate can always find a way to survive. But will he ever find a real home?

Bullied at school, nagged in Aunty May’s tenth-floor council flat, there’s only one place Billy really feels alive - in the wilderness by the canal. There he watches a cygnet on the water and protects a family of fox cubs. Then his secret place is discovered and the fox family decimated. Unwanted and unloved, Billy and the last fox run for their lives.

Marooned on a sandbank, the boy faces certain death.  With the sea closing in and the current about to drag him to a watery grave, his final wish is to see heaven.  But, waking in a strange bed, the boy meets an old man sitting by the fire with his dog.  It is Arthur, the great warrior king of legend, who tells the boy of Camelot, magic, evil and betrayal.

A wonderful collection of three animal stories in one volume:  Colly’s Barn, Jo-Jo the Melon Donkey and Conker.

When Bun Bendle is struck blind he feels like he is drowning in blackness.  But the discovery of an ancient underground tomb and a strangely familiar sword changes him forever.

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm…

Two fantastic stories in one volume!

Jigger’s Day Off:

“Time has come for harvest, Jigger. So I shan’t be needing you all day. It’s your day off, my dear.”

Jigger the sheepdog has just one day off a year. Just one day to chase all those little animals hiding in the corn. But even the best plans go wrong…

And Pigs Might Fly!:

“Flying was not nearly as easy as it looked. Pintsize stood up on his back trotters and flapped his front ones – trotters, he thought, would do just as well as wings.”

It’s a long hot summer, and Pintsize the piglet wonders if it might be cooler in the sky. But when he tries to fly, he annoys just about everyone. It’s time he learned his lesson…

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm…

Two fantastic stories in one volume!

Mossop’s Last Chance:

“There’s mice in my barley sacks, there’s rats in my roof and now there’s mice in the corn bin. This time I’ve had enough. If you aren’t up to the job, you will have to go.”

Mossop the old farm cat likes to sleep – and not much else! So when Farmer Rafferty tells him to catch twenty-six mice by sunset, all the animals have to pull together to give Mossop one last chance…

Albertine, Goose Queen:

“Good morning, Madam, I’ve come to eat you. Your friends have all gone. There’s no one to help you now. They’re all very stupid, aren’t they?”

A fox is on the loose, and all the animals except Albertine the goose have hidden themselves inside. Albertine is safe on her island in the pond – at least so she thinks, until the fox starts swimming towards her…

When Lesley is sent to Venice to interview world-renowned violinist Paulo Levi on his fiftieth birthday, she cannot believe her luck. She is told that she can ask him anything at all – except the Mozart question.

But it is Paulo himself who decides that it is time for the truth to be told. And so follows the story of his parents as Jewish prisoners of war, forced to play Mozart violin concertos for the enemy; how they watched fellow Jews being led off to their deaths and knew that they were playing for their lives. As the story unfolds, the journalist begins to understand the full horror of war, and how one group of musicians survived using the only weapon they had – music.

A truly original collection of short stories, essays and commentaries by Michael Morpurgo. In this book he illuminates the craft of storytelling, analysing all aspects of writing and where it comes from within the writer and within himself.

This collection includes stories about suffering, imagination, creativity, inspiration, truth and love. There are some well-known, such as I Believe in Unicorns and some brand new stories such as The Mozart Question.

Michael says of the book, “I am a grower of stories. I farm them as surely as a farmer does his corn. I am a weaver of dreams: a teller of tales. I have, through my mother reading to me, through my own reading, through inspired teachers, through my great mentors, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ted Hughes and Sean Rafferty, through years of practice, discovered my way of doing it. Every writer’s way is unique I am sure, though perhaps we all have much more in common than we believe. My way may not be the best way, but it is my way, and I thought it might be interesting and maybe even useful and encouraging to tell the story of how I became the writer I am.”

Reading level: perfect for anyone, young or old, who loves great stories and wants to know more about the art of telling tales.

Review (French)

Les Secrets d’un Conteur (Mercredi 14 novembre 2007 Le Figaro)

Au pays de mes histoires de Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo est l’un des auteurs britanniques les plus profiliques de la littérature jeunesse avec plus de cent livres à son actif depuis 1982, parcours couronné dans son pays par une décoration pour ‘services rendues a la littérature. Les jeunes lecteurs liront forcément l’un de ses ouvrages, à commencer par ‘Le Royaume de Kensuké’ ou ‘Le Lion Blanc’. Dans son dernier livre, ‘Au Pays de mes Histoires’, ce conteur né réinvente l’autobiographie d’auteur. Il réunit ici ce qu’il nomme ses meilleures histoires. Il y mêle ses réflexions sur l’écriture ainsi que ses souvenirs d’enfant passionné par les fictions. Il en résulte un récit inclassable et fascinant qui plonge le lecteur dans cette alchemie envoûtante qui fait qu’un homme, un jour, se prend à vouloir écrire à son tour. À partir de réflexions très personelles, Michael Morpurgo propose un livre universel que l’on dévore comme un roman. Il prouve qu’un ancien lecteur récalcitrant peut devenir un auteur comblé et talentueux. Avec cette profondeur qui caracterise son oeuvre, il raconte les lecteurs maternelles, sa découverte des grands poètes et des auteurs et évoque les rencontres déterminantes qui l’ont engagé sur le chemin de romancier. Les illustrations de Peter Bailey, l’alternance des chapitres courts et longs en font un ouvrage destiné aussi bien aux enfants à partir de 11 – 12 ans qu’aux adolescents et aux adultes. Ce livre qui parle du goût de lire qu’il ne ressemble à aucun dans un paysage ou la littérature tend à être formatée. L’auteur laisse à chacun la possibilité d’aborder son monde secret avec une belle générosité.

Francoise Dargent

Life on the Scilly Isles in 1907 is bleak and full of hardship.  Laura’s twin brother, Billy, disappears and then a storm devastates everything.  It seems there is little hope…that is until the sailing ship the Zanzibar is wrecked on the island’s rocks and everything changes…

Everyone knows the Big Hill is full of gold, and now the islanders are intent on cutting the top off it and making themselves rich.  Jess and Jake are determined to save the Hill, a beautiful, special, perfect place, but what can they do?  A plan is needed, and fast.  Could the ghost of Grania O’Malley be the answer?

Meet a ghost, enter the horrors of war, engross yourself in a love story, travel to ancient times.  Whatever your mood, there’s a short story to enjoy in this superb collection.

Evacuated from London, David and Tucky feel like the war is a long way away from their new life in the Devon countryside.  Then one night the skyline of the moor is lit up with gun flashes, and the distant crump of bombing miles away brings the war back to them and shatters their new-found peace.

Montezuma the farmyard cat’s nine lives are full of adventure and excitement.  From a young kitten to a grand old cat he is cunning and proud while establishing his kingdom, but to Matthew, the farmer’s son, he’s always loving and adorable.

In Cornwall, where the sea gently washes over the land and myths brush against reality, lies Zennor.  Set in a church town where men become beasts and ghosts roam freely, are these five haunting and unforgettable tales, where magic lies around every corner.

A lyrical and moving tale of a young boy growing up in Africa, and his lifelong friendship with a white lion.

“All my life I’ll think of you, I promise I will. I won’t ever forget you.”

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfly lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten.

When Matt turns down a possible career as a vet and goes to work as a clown in an orphanage in Rwanda his leg is blown off by a landmine. Back home his sister anxiously waits for letters from him and watches Hero, a swallow, prepare for his long flight back to Africa . . . with many dangers ahead.

The reader is engaged in sharing the 3 lives – in a sensitive tale of family, love, loss and determination.

Antonito lives an idyllic life on his parent’s bull farm in Andalucia, Spain. But the idyll is shattered when he realises that his beloved bull calf, Paco, is destined for the bloody struggle of the bullring. What can he do? He has a plan – a plan of such daring, it will take enormous courage to see it through.

But it is 1936, and the rolling drums of war are echoing across the Spanish plains. Little does Antonito realise the full consequences of his actions – and Paco has a destiny far exceeding Antonito’s dreams.

When orphaned Arthur Hobhouse is shipped to Australia after World War II he loses his sister, his country and everything he knows. The coming years will test him to his limits, as he endures mistreatment, neglect and forced labour in the Australian outback. But Arthur is also saved, again and again, by his love of the sea. And when he meets a nurse whose father owns a boat-building business, all the pieces of his broken life come together.

Now, at the end of his life, Arthur has built a special boat for his daughter Allie, whose love of the sea is as strong and as vital as her father’s. Now Allie has a boat that will take her to England solo, across the world’s roughest seas, in search of her father’s long-lost sister. Will the threads of Arthur’s life finally come together?

Robbie, football fan and animal lover, runs after his dog Lucky one day when he chases a cat and is hit by a car. Unconscious, Robbie lies in hospital, unable to speak, move or eat. But he can hear; he is aware, even though his family and friends don’t know this. Inside his head, we hear Robbie’s thoughts; on his Mum and sister, why his parents are separated. His friends and family try desperately to reach him – even Zola, his favourite Chelsea footballer, comes to see him. And still Robbie can’t ‘wake up’. Until one day, against hospital rules, Dad brings Lucky into the hospital. Can Lucky bring Robbie back to life?

Gracie and Daniel have been warned to stay away from the mad Birdman, but a message in the sand tells them the Birdman isn’t what he seems.  Then they get lost in the fog and stranded on Samson Island – should they believe the Birdman’s story that the island is cursed?  Why the Whales Came is set in the Isles of Scilly during World War I.

Remember Sir Walter Raleigh who laid his cloak in a puddle for Queen Elizabeth I to walk across? Well, Bess meets his ghost and finds out he’s her ancestor! How’s she going to explain him to her family, especially when he breaks her brother’s fishing rod, steals a horse and smokes cigars in her room? Will Sir Walter wreak havoc or save her family’s home?

Sean and Annie have one chance to escape the potato famine in Ireland, but they must leave their dying mother behind.  They travel in search of their father, across rough seas, to a new land of hardship: America.  There, they busk in a city street, run a riverboat, join a wagon train across the prairies, and dig for gold.  It is a long and dangerous journey but their family’s survival depends on it.

Jo finds out that Jewish children are being smuggled away from the Nazis over the mountains near his village.  All goes to plan until German soldiers start patrolling the mountains, and Jo realises the children are trapped.  Jo’s slightest mistake could have devastating consequences…

Toby Jenkins doesn’t like boarding school and thinks he’ll never fit in or make the top rugby team.  But then he meets Christopher who claims to have special powers.  When the village boys start a war with the school ‘toffs’, Toby is caught in the middle.  Can Christopher provide the miracle that Toby needs?

In these three exciting stories, find out about a mean headmaster who grinds marbles into dust, an owl and a swallow who band together to save a barn, and a boy who wins the title of Conker King and gets a new pet.

In fifth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him. Beowulf’s terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. Artfully retold and magnificently illustrated by Michael Foreman, this companion volume to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is made instantly accessible to children by a formidable children’s book partnership.

One cold Christmas night, a shepherd recounts the magical story of how he came to be the first visitor to the newborn Christ child – ahead of the other shepherds, and in complete secret.

A deftly wrought re-working of the nativity story, Michael’s tale is rich in human detail. Quentin Blake’s watercolour illustrations ooze energy and atmosphere and perfectly complement this poignant story.

George doesn’t want to spend his summer with another foster family, and Tom is angry that George is coming to stay on his family’s farm.  But when disaster strikes, Tom realises that George is like a brother.  Has George finally found a place to call home?

When Japan invades China in 1941, Ashley and Uncle Sung are forced to flee.  It is a perilous journey across the Himalayas, and they struggle to survive.  Then Ashley is captured.  Who are these strange creatures that revere him as their king?

Cessie’s grandfather has come out of nowhere, out of the blue and nothing and no one will ever be the same again.  Cessie is determined to help Popsicle to remember his past.  But how can she help when he only remembers in glimpses?  A tin of condensed milk, a lifeboat, a woman named Lucie Alice, and a devastating night on the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II…

City boy Michael loves his summer holidays by the sea in Wales.  He is spellbound by his grandfather’s stories about the Sandman, but he doesn’t believe they’re real.  That all changes when the Sandman comes to life…

The year is 1943. The setting is the seaside village of Slapton, Devon, for this moving story which is a subtle blend of history and human and animal relationships. Suddenly the villagers, together with families from six neighbouring villages totalling 3000, are ordered to move out so that US troups can practice their landings in preparation for D-Day, when the forces will invade France.

Everyone packs up, but Lily still can’t find her precious cat, Tips. Maybe two friendly American soldiers will help her search? Dare she climb over the forbidden barbed wire fence? Sadly, Lily leaves without Tips. Will she ever see him again? And will the village be the same place when they finally return? This is a compelling read for the family to share.

Set against the backdrop of war-torn Europe, I Believe in Unicorns explores the power of stories to transform our lives. Eight-year-old Tomas hates school, hates books and hates stories. Forced to visit the library, he stops to listen to magical tales that the Unicorn Lady spins – tales that draw him in, making themselves part of him and changing the course of his life forever, making him believe in unicorns. By the end of this story, you will believe in unicorns too.
Reviews
“This truly inspiring tale tells the story of a boy who becomes captivated by the stories he hears from a local librarian . . . an enchanting read.”
The Good Book Guide
“As usual Michael Morpurgo has managed, in this attractive little book, to interweave several strands – his recurrent children in war motif, the redemptive power of storytelling and an original take on one of the oldest, best loved and most familiar of myths . . . it’s vintage Morpurgo, sensitively told and full of interesting ideas, such as the priority given to rescuing the books (and unicorn) from the burning library.”
School Librarian Spring 2006
“With simple sentences, an endearing storyteller and a captivating storyline, this makes a great book for children who have just started to feel confident reading on their own.”
Junior
“Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns . . . brings us back to art. A boy in war-torn central Europe attempts to rescue the books from his town’s library after soldiers have torched it. He also saves a wooden unicorn, which, for local children, symbolises the power of the imagination. As Lester, the curator in Framed [the previous review], says (in this case, perfectly accurately): ‘Isn’t that what art is about? Rescuing beauty from the ravages of time. To save one moment from eternal silence.”
The Observer (featured in Geraldine Bedell’s choice of children’s fiction for 2005)

Five of award-winning author Michael Morpurgo’s best-loved stories, brought together in this beautiful gift collection. The perfect present for any child. A mini-library from a master storyteller.

The Butterfly Lion

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again…

Cool!

Robbie lies in a coma. He can hear, but he can’t tell his family that he loves them, that he’s going to be OK. Everyone comes to visit Robbie – even the famous Chelsea footballer, Zola. Will they ever be able to bring him back?

Dear Olly

As Olly waits for her brother Matt’s letters, she watches the swallows preparing to leave for the winter. Matt sees the children in the African orphanage and knows he made the right decision to come, but he could never have dreamt what would happen to him there…

Toro! Toro!

Antonito lives an idyllic life on his parents’ bull farm in Spain. But the idyll is shattered when he realises that his beloved bull calf, Paco, is destined for the bloody struggle of the bull ring. What can he do…?

Private Peaceful

Young Thomas Peaceful looks back over his childhood memories from the battlefields of the First World War. But the clock is ticking, and every moment Tommo spends remembering, means another moment closer to something that will change his life forever.

It’s New Year’s Eve in Camelot, where King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and all their good Knights wait breathlessly for an extravagant feast to begin. Suddenly, a strange and frightening Knight bursts into the hall – a giant of a man, green from head to toe, who mockingly challenges the Court to a shocking game. Only the chivalrous Sir Gawain dares to take on the hideous Green Knight. But over the unexpected course of his test, will Gawain prove as brave and honest as he’d like to believe? A witty Arthurian tale receives a wondrous translation by Michael Morpurgo and illustrated by Michael Foreman.

Washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parents’ yacht, Michael struggles to survive on his own.  With no food, and no water, he curls up to die.  When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish and fruit, and a bowl of fresh water.  He is not alone…

This anthology of poetry links together some of Michael Morpurgo’s core beliefs for his tenure as Children’s Laureate – the importance of reading for pleasure, with specific reference to a first-hand and powerful experience of the countryside and the natural world. He and Jane Feaver have chosen poems that display a link between a physical knowledge of the countryside and of nature, such as ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney and ‘The Thought Fox’ by Ted Hughes.

There are poems ancient and modern, from Virgil to John Clare, Andrew Marvell to Ted Hughes. And a wide selection of poems from nursery rhymes and anonymous poems to new writing from poets such as Carol Ann Duffy, Michael Longley and Alice Oswald. This is an anthology for all readers, which, without reducing itself to the lowest common denominator, could be enjoyed by everyone. Some poems could be read and enjoyed at a primary school level, and there will be others that can be grown into.

A superb collection of stories from acclaimed children’s writers, compiled by Michael Morpurgo and published on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II The pity, the cruelty, the courage and the consequences of many different conflicts feature in brand-new stories from Joan Aiken, Eva Ibbotson, Jamila Gavin, Elizabeth Laird, George Layton, Geraldine McCaughrean, Margaret Mahy, Michelle Magorian, Michael Morpurgo, Eleanor Updale, Celia Rees, and other top children’s authors.

From the Crusades to 1970’s Beirut, to the Falklands, many aspects of war are explored in a collection of work that speaks powerfully to today’s young readers.

The Farms For City Children charity was founded by Michael and his wife to give city children the chance to spend a week on a working farm.

This book is an account of a child’s stay, told in the form of letters home and illustrated with photographs of animals and children on location at the farm. Humorous and engaging, it conveys the fun and excitement of working closely with animals. It ends with an index and a timetable of a day’s events on the farm, so children can recap the story.

Echoes of Christmas 1914 in the trenches call to the present day when a letter found by chance in an antique desk brings one soldier’s experience hauntingly to life. Heart-warming and spine-tingling, this is a perfect story to curl up with on a winter’s night.

It is war-time and Harry is in trouble at school, and he doesn’t like his stepfather or the new baby.  Then he befriends Ocky, a chimpanzee from the circus and runs away with him.  At first, life on the road is an adventure, but when everyone betrays them and their lives are in danger is anyone willing to help them?

Heroism or cowardice? A stunning story of the First World War from a master storyteller. Told in the voice of a young soldier, the story follows 24 hours in his life at the front during WW1, and captures his memories as he looks back over his life. Full of stunningly researched detail and engrossing atmosphere, the book leads to a dramatic and moving conclusion. Both a love story and a deeply moving account of the horrors of the First World War, this book will reach everyone from 9 to 90.

A spellbinding Cornish story in which a boy embarks on a magical relationship with a dolphin that benefits and restores vibrancy to a hard-up village.

A thought-provoking, beautiful but tense story in which a young albatross is faced with predators when its parents are caught in a fishing net.

This fairy tale-like story features Skinner, a sad, lonely giant, who rescues a young girl from drowning in a polluted lake, thereby regaining the friendship of the villagers who had always been frightened by him.

Reviews

“Here’s a story to compare with any classic from the past.”
The Independent

Robbie says swimming is easy. You just have to pretend you’re a mermaid. But that doesn’t help Mairi. She isn’t even sure that mermaids are real!

At first Peter is not too keen about his teacher’s plan to dig a vegetable plot to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. He starts to dig up china, old coins and huge worms – but then he comes across a strange-shaped object . . . rather like a cucumber. Could it be connected to World War II?

A sumptuous collection of favourite classic stories from children’s literature, chosen by Rosemary Sandberg and Michael Morpurgo. The extracts offer the perfect introduction to stories which have delighted and inspired generations of readers.

Annie’s father is going to knock down the old barn. What will happen to Colly the swallow and all the other birds that nest there? Annie is worried about their safety. But one night something amazing happens and she realises that the birds are wiser than she could ever have imagined ...

This story is set around the theme of the foot and mouth disaster. A very moving and thought provoking story which the reader will find hard to put down!

Wendy’s grandad has gone into hospital for a new hip, so she has the task of looking after his pet snake Slinky. Wendy may be called weedy and weepy at school, but she’s not frightened of Slinky. And when Slinky wriggles out of her school bag, she will brave anything to rescue him.

A sweeping tale of adventure and loyalty, suitable for readers of eight to adult.

Robbie McLeod is on the run from the English Redcoats in the Scottish highlands. On his furtive travels he finds a wolf cub, near a sign proclaiming the killing of the last wolf in Scotland. Identifying at once with the abandoned orphan, Robbie adopts the cub and a unique loyalty grows between them.

Eventually Robbie flees his homeland and seeks his fortune in the New World. Has the time come for wolf to find a new home too? A gem of a story, sweeping the reader from the present day to the eighteenth-century and right across the Atlantic.

Farms for City Children, the charity set up by Michael and Clare Morpurgo, gives children from inner-city schools the chance to stay and work on a farm in Devon for a week, and to truly experience life in the country. In a similar way, the pages of this warm anthology capture an inspirational snapshot of the countryside and its animals. From Ted Hughes’ famous animal poems and Michael Morpurgo’s dog’s-eye-view to the visit paid by the mysterious Mona in Jamila Gavin’s family story, there is a special insight for everyone in this book.

This book looks at the world of Michael Morpurgo, his childhood, how he began to write, and the people, the stories and the landscapes that have influenced his work. It examines the books themselves, drawing together common themes and encouraging the reader to read further for themselves. It also includes a section on the development of a book, answering some of those questions that Michael is frequently asked, ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ or ‘how long does it take to produce a book?’ There is even a previously unpublished story - a real treat from the pen of the Children’s Laureate.

Part of a series of interviews with popular children’s authors. This interview with Michael Morpurgo is aimed at children in the top year of primary school and the first year of secondary school. He tells of his childhood, family, home town, schooldays and writing career.

The books that comprise this series are written for primary school children. Each volume focuses upon a particular children’s author and profiles that author’s life in a way that younger readers can relate to.

A sad, lyrical, but thrilling story about a boy’s friendship with a swan when the female in the family is killed by foxes.

The story is centred around Billy who is very suspicious about his neighbour. He calls her the “Black Queen” as she always wears a black cloak and wide brimmed hat – and spends a lot of time lurking around her garden with her cat.

When she asks Billy to look after her cat whilst she’s away he is both scared and curious. He takes a tiny peak into her house where he discovers chess boards everywhere. Why are they there? What game is she playing?

A thoughtful read – useful for class discussion. The story gives a background to the author’s “Farms for City Children“ venture. Told in the first person, it asks the reader: How would you cope with a school bully who challenges you to a race . . . and a fight? One way could be trickery, using the farm’s old bull!

This story centres around a polar bear who wants to be more colourful. It is only when he takes on all the colours of the rainbow that he appreciates that being a white snow bear has distinct advantages.

Wombat loves digging deep holes and thinking deep thoughts, but nobody thinks much of that until danger threatens the bush and the small wombat comes up with a great big idea…

One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he’s ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can’t see his mother anywhere. He is all alone. As he wanders through the great outback looking for her, Wombat meets all kinds of wonderful creatures – Kookaburra, Wallaby, Possum, Emu, Boy and Koala. None of them think very much of him, though. But when a fire sweeps through the bush, Wombat’s skills save the day and afterwards everyone races off to find his mum and bring her back to him.

Reviews

“Warm, soft pastel drawings by Christian Birmingham distinguish every page of Wombat Goes Walkabout . . . The illustrations are zoologically correct but the wombat still has the goofy, amiable charm of a cartoon character.”
The Observer

Have you ever had a wart? Dilly has one called George who causes him a lot of grief. Until, that is, he meets old Mr Ben.

A humourous, spooky story – best enjoyed by reading aloud!

Something strange is going on at Mudpuddle Farm. Eggbert the goat is not himself at all. Instead of grumbling, he’s singing and dancing, and he’s even greedier than usual.

Review

This sixth book in the Mudpuddle Farm series features Egbert, the grumbly goat. It’s the start of another sunny day – or is it? Captain is suddenly aware that something is wrong. Egbert has disappeared!

Despite a careful search it is not until suppertime that Egbert finally appears – grumbling because he’s so hungry. Where has he been? What has he been up to? Only Albertine seems to know!
Then the animals notice that Egbert no longer grumbles – he’s singing, dancing, and happy. Maybe he’s ill?

Each chapter brings more incidents, setbacks, mysterious goings-on . . . as well as a delightful, and perhaps unexpected ending. Shoo Rayner shows her skills in placing the black and white illustrations in an attractive layout which appeals to this age group.

An activity based on aerobics, or a singing lesson using Old Farmer Rafferty’s songs within the classroom or Library could attract reluctant readers to enjoy this lively story.

Petrena and Michael Camps

Who will overcome Blodin, a fearsome beast who stalks a timeless, faraway place, breathing fire and razing villages to the ground? Only wise old Shanga, weaving strange carpets, knows how to destroy this monster – but he’s too old to cross the mountains that never end. Could a young boy be brave enough to face up to this challenge?

A collection of stories that explore a wide range of rural themes and settings, from the sinister countryside to a ruined Lebanese garden. The foreword is by HRH Princess Anne, Patron of Farms for City Children, the charity set up by Michael and Clare Morpurgo.

When Tom sees a lion strolling through the orchard with a string of sausages, only Clare, the cleverest girl in the class, believes him. Why? She knows something about Tom’s story that no-one else does. Together, they devise a plan to prove that Tom is telling the truth, but somehow things don’t go according to plan…