Collins Readers - Collins Readers – War Horse

By Michael Morpurgo

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, although still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.

Narrated from an unusual perspective, Michael Morpurgo’s classic novel vividly brings to life the sufferings of animals caught up in human warfare.

War Horse has been adapted by the National Theatre to become a hit play and is now being made into a major motion picture by Steven Spielberg.

Download the free scheme of work from the Collins Education website to support your teaching.

Format: Hardback
Ageband: from 11
Release Date: 23 Jun 2011
Pages: 192
ISBN: 978-0-00-743726-9
Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best loved writers for children, with sales of over 35 million copies. He has written over 150 books, has served as Children’s Laureate, and has won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Writers Guild Award, the Whitbread Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Eleanor Farjeon Lifetime Achievement Award. With his wife, Clare, he is the co-founder of Farms for City Children. Michael was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

Related Articles

The War Horse cast visit Iddesleigh

On 31 Aug, Michael showed the cast of War Horse around his home village Iddesleigh. After reading them the prologue to War Horse, he showed the cast around and spoke about the inspiration behind the book. Here are some lovely pictures from the day!… Read More

War Horse – 2018/2019 UK Tour

“An entertainment phenomenon… powerfully moving and imaginative.” – Daily Telegraph Following 8 record-record breaking years in London’s West End and having played in 11 countries around the world to over 7 million people, the National Theatre’s acclaimed play War Horse is now on a UK tour. About the show:… Read More

The Play’s the Thing – Michael Morpurgo on War Horse

The play’s the thing. Over these last ten years and more I have often been asked: “How do you explain the phenomenon that War Horse has become?” It’s not too difficult to answer – after all, I have had a while to think it through. It’s the play. As the… Read More

War Horse to return to the National Theatre to mark Armistice Day centenary year

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, the National Theatre will revive War Horse in the Lyttelton Theatre for a limited run – 8 November 2018 to 5 January 2019. The Olivier Award-winning production, based on Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling 1982 novel, will celebrate 100 years since the First World War… Read More