I finished this poignant title just in time for Remembrance Sunday so wanted to share it beforehand incase any of you were looking for some books set in the time of the First World War.

As Evie’s parents struggle to come to terms with the death of their youngest son, Alecky, his older (but underage) brother secretly enlists in the army and heads of to training camp before being deployed to France.  As you can imagine, this only compounds his parents’ anguish and fills his sisters with dread.

The family do their best to cope with their private grief as the hardships of the First World War loom large around them – rationing, air raids and the Spanish Influenza epidemic all touch their lives.

With Mother seemingly lost in depression, and Father busy at work, Evie and her little sister (and their trusty dogs) set about finding ways they can contribute to the war effort themselves in the hope of doing some good in a situation they have very little control of.

I love Holly Webb’s middle grade titles as they are always sensitively written and full of heart.  This one is no exception.  Based on the real-life bombing of Whitby in 1914, Webb weaves a story which made my eyes prick with tears a few times.  Thankfully, Holly has a way of describing some of the gritty realities of war in a way which will not be too upsetting for the intended age range of readers.  Hopeful, desperate and full of love, this would be a great introductory read for anyone aged 9+

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Scholastic for sending me this title to review*