Armistice Runner (Conkers)

Product Information

The book ends with Lily winning a race as her great-great-grandfather had also done before he went off to fight/be a messenger for WW1.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling.I found it similar to Michael Morpurgo's The Amazing story of Adolphus tips in the way that there is someone reading the diary of a member of their family set during the war.

The time period from 1914 – 1945 is a period of depression, so I enjoyed learning about how people lived and how people drew closer and further apart from each other. Yet the author did include very lovable characters such as Gran who adds emotion to the book through her struggle with Alzheimer’s and Grandad, who is supportive and loves his wife dearly. My favourite character is Abbie because I think she is a kind and caring person, only she doesn’t let it show when she is running as she is too competitive then. Knowing that many cross-country and fell runners went to fight in the First World War, the story started there. As with all truly great children's books it's one that adults will enjoy sharing too, potentially prompting grown-ups to share their own family's history and involvement with the World Wars with their children, thus preserving those stories for another generation.

They often did the fighting to show revenge to the ones they have lost, this was clearly an important and interesting time period for the participants in the war. The fact that a book with sports and war themes centres around a female character is also a plus point - too often these topics see males take centre stage. This isn't only a book about sports or war it's just a great story, expertly told, and one that every child should have a chance to read.