Private Peaceful; Collins Readers

Told from the viewpoint of Tommy Peaceful, this cleverly written story takes a poignant look at the First World War from the view point of a child. Written by Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo, this beautifully written novel, contrasts greatly with the bittersweet childhood memories described amidst the backdrop of a horrific war. Private Peaceful captures the memories of a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. From his early childhood adventures in rural Devon to the battles and injustices of war that brought him to the Front Line, Private Tommo Peaceful spends these lonely hours re-living his short but vivid past. A beautifully written novel, which contrasts bittersweet childhood memories with the horrors of war. Told in the first person it alternates between past and present, creating both humour and heartache and building tension for its dramatic and thought-provoking conclusion