Recommended by: Nicola Traverse/@Mrs_Trav_
Author: Phil Earle
Form and genre: Prose/historical fiction
Length: 320 pages
Brief synopsis: While most children are evacuating FROM war-torn London, Joseph is sent TO London. With his mother gone and his father at war, Joseph’s gran can’t cope with his behaviour and so he sent to live with Mrs F. Mrs F has her own struggles trying to look after the remaining animals at the zoo, including a moody Gorilla named Adonis. When the sirens for the air raid sound, Mrs F takes her post outside Adonis’s cage ready to shoot if his cage is breached by bombs.
Age recommendation: Y6/Y7
Trigger Warnings: Bullying, war, grief, fitting in.
Notable reasons for recommending: Dyslexic protagonist. Allows students to see examples of symbolism.
Other Comments: Good transition text
Worked well with our students who had read as a guided read in primary and then as a deeper study in secondary.