‘To get some understanding of what it was like to be a soldier in the first world war, younger readers need Michael Morpurgo like no other.’

In the lead up to the centenary of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July, Julia Eccleshare of The Guardian has considered just why Michael Morpurgo’s writing is so important in helping children understand the realities of war.

‘…he makes it possible for contemporary children to understand better what happened and to understand how it was that teenagers like themselves could handle such dreadful situations.’

By using War Horse and Private Peaceful as her key examples, Eccleshare makes a strong argument which can be read in full here

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