Shortlisted for Independent Booksellers' Week Book of the Year Award: Children's Book of the Year 2007.

"Lyrical and moving, it is one of the former Children's Laureate's best books for years." Amanda Craig, The Times "His best book in years... I was completely hooked." Kate Kellaway, The Observer Review "A powerful story." The Guardian Children's Books Supplement 'Executed with Morpurgo's distinctive flair. His language remains beautifully clean and clear.' Waterstone's Books Quarterly "[A] very satisfying read... The masterful writing makes the characters come to life on the page... I'm recommending this to adult friends as well as teenagers." Books for Keeps "Michael Morpurgo strikes gold... this is a life-rewarding novel." Angels Urchins "This is storytelling at its best." Primary Times "Incredibly moving, harrowing and completely unputdownable. A first class story that brings history alive." My Child magazine "Completely unputdownable." Families Magazine

Multi-award winning author, Michael Morpurgo, is one of Britain's best-loved writers for children and has won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, The Writers Guild Award and the Blue Peter Book Award for his recent novel, Private Peaceful, which has also had two successful runs as a play devised by Bristol Old Vic. From 2003 to 2005 he was the Children's Laureate, a role which took him all over the UK to promote literacy and reading, and in 2005 he was named the Booksellers Association Author of the Year.