Armistice Day is an important time of year, offering schools the chance to reflect and learn. We know that for many students, historical fiction is an effective way to discover stories from the past and offers a starting point for further study. So we've put together a list of top-quality, short, super-readable books from acclaimed authors to help your students explore the First World War this Armistice Day.
At Barrington Stoke, we work hard to ensure that our books are accessible to every reader. From our unique easy-read font to spacious layouts and expert editing, each of our books is carefully crafted to support reluctant and struggling readers as well as provide a satisfying short novel for keen bookworms.
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Anzac Boys by Tony Bradman
When Bert and Frank Barker are taken from the Children's Home in London, the priests promise them a better life in Australia. But what really awaits is hard work, separation, and the realisation that no one cares if they live or die.
Then war breaks out, and fate brings the brothers together again – in a place more horrific than either of them could ever imagine. Particularly suitable for students aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Daisy and the Unknown Warrior by Tony Bradman
November 1920. The body of an unknown soldier is to be buried at Westminster Abbey. The war has claimed the lives of thousands of men whose bodies will never make it home, and the Unknown Warrior will represent them all.
As hundreds of people crowd to Westminster Abbey, Daisy knows she has to make it to the ceremony. Because although they call the warrior ‘unknown’, she is sure that he is her father … Particularly suitable for students aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Respect: The Walter Tull Story by Michaela Morgan
Tully and his brother don't have much. But they do have each other. And Tully has an amazing talent: football.
But when the First World War begins, Tully must fight for respect on the battlefield, not the pitch … Particularly suitable for students aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
The Ghost Garden by Emma Carroll
Summer, 1914. When Fran uncovers a bone in the garden of Longbarrow House on the same afternoon that Leo breaks his leg, it is just the first in a series of strange and unsettling coincidences.
Leo is left immobilised for the rest of the summer and Fran is roped in to keep him company, forced to listen to his foolish theories about the looming threat of war in Europe. Suddenly the garden she has loved all her life seems to hold threatening shadows of the future, and Fran starts to fear what she and Leo might find next … Particularly suitable for students aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Wings: Flyboy by Tom Palmer
On and off the pitch, Jastinder always plays it safe. He lines everything up for glory. Then he fluffs it. The summer school is meant to change all that.
But next to the school, a long-abandoned airfield hums with mystery … and when Jastinder opens an old book about ace fighter pilot, Hardit Singh Malik, he's propelled into an adventure more thrilling than any football match. Particularly suitable for students aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer
Lily has lots of worries. She's struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, worse, she's losing her gran to Alzheimer's. But then she discovers her great-great-grandfather's diaries from the First World War. Could his incredible story of bravery help her reconnect with her gran and even give her the inspiration she needs to push through and win? Particularly suitable for students aged 9+.
Over the Line by Tom Palmer
It's the proudest moment of Jack's life – his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his country. But it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. The promise of a Cup in Flanders offers a glimmer of hope, but Jack and his teammates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again. Particularly suitable for students aged 9+.