Product details
Biographical note
Jenny Pearson is an award-winning author, teacher and mother of two young boys. Her books have been translated into 21 languages, and she has been shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Week Junior Book Award and was the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Award. As a primary school teacher, Jenny regularly covers the Second World War in her classroom and was inspired to write Shrapnel Boys by the extraordinary resilience of Londoners living through the war.Pearson's first foray into historical fiction is an enthralling, explosive read for 9+.
The Guardian
Jenny Pearson puts her band of brave, spirited kids in the middle of their very own war.
Phil Earle, British Book Award-winning author
Jenny Pearson must be the best children's author writing at the moment. SHRAPNEL BOYS is a pacy and compelling journey through the mess and fragility and love of what it means to be a human. All that, and she can make you laugh on every page. She's a genius.
Katya Balen, Carnegie Medal-winning author
Full of whip-smart and emotive storytelling, brave characters & authentic voices, Jenny's first historical adventure is an absolute smash hit
Mel Taylor-Bessent
Jenny Pearson's first venture into historical fiction is accomplished with seamless skill, and has all the relatable, warm storytelling we've come to expect. Rich in period detail, but never didactic, Shrapnel Boys is a triumph of a novel; one which deserves to join other classic World War II children's stories on our bookshelves.
Lesley Parr
An expertly woven tale of brotherly bonds during a time of war. Despite its historical setting it feels current and timely!
Maisie Chan, award-winning author
Pearson's writing is both accessible and richly layered... Shrapnel Boys is a gripping and heartfelt story that will resonate with young readers today.
Books for Keeps
Shrapnel Boys skilfully combines an entertaining storyline and immediately likeable protagonists with historically accurate details, resulting in a gripping read.
The School Reading List
Jenny Pearson wows us with her new tale of resilience and spirit as we follow brothers, Ronnie and Mickey, as they navigate a war that is close to home.
Maisie Chan, award-winning children's author
An important and timely book.
Maisie Chan, award-winning children's author
Led by authentic characters with the author's trademark spark, this is a funny, heartwarming story with an additional layer of dilemma and emotional depth. It will challenge readers to think about everyone's role in the Second World War and how it affected ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
Kate Heap, Scope for Imagination
A truly outstanding book which manages to weave so many themes into its pages. It deals with issues around family, friendship, bravery and loss coupled with providing insight and historical facts about an important time in British history.
Books for Topics
An astonishing story challenging the strength of the bonds of family and friendship when the world is raining down horror, hardship and harm ... a profound, powerful and courageous story that deserves to sit with other classic war stories.
Book Craic
Edge-of-your-seat exciting.
Libby Allman, Plymouth Children's Book Group
[A] first-class read that delivers thrills, laughs, and a tear at the end. It's a book about the strength of friendship and the difficulties of speaking out, especially when you're in a position of weakness.
Geek Dad
Written with humour, delivering gut-wrenching life lessons, Ronnie's story is as relevant today as it was eighty years ago. Highly recommended, and not just for kids.
Historical Novel Society
Page-turning prose means this 1939-set adventure is the ideal story to further children's learning whilst studying the second World War.
Imagining History
Drama, tension, fear and loss intertwined... This is a compelling read.
A Library Lady
The story captures both the excitement and the danger of the time, helping young readers imagine what it might have felt like to grow up in such uncertain times.
Teachwire
This brilliant novel is a thrilling adventure in war-torn London, but also explores tough and still relevant themes... Compelling and moving, with peril galore.
BookTrust
A captivating and emotional read.
Bonkers About Books
A masterpiece - intricately woven, showing how difficult it is to do the right thing when the world is imploding around you.
Check 'Em Out Books
It's a first-class read that delivers thrills, laughs, and a tear at the end.
Geek Dad
An intelligent, gripping, Second World War story.
Armadillo
A vivid adventure read that is vivid and exciting and full of the smoke and mayhem of the Blitz. Perfect for fans of <i>When the Sky Falls </i>by Phil Earle and <i>I am Rebel </i>by Ross Montgomery.
WRd About Books
<p>I like the way the author can make you feel sympathy for the characters but you never feel sorry for them. The description in the book is fantastic. It really helped me to imagine what life was like during the Second World War.<br />It's the kind of book you keep thinking about even after you finish reading it.<br />Shrapnel Boys contains everything I could want in a book; war, danger, excitement, adventure - and it was funny sometimes too.<br />It made me feel a bit stronger inside - that we should always try to do the right thing even if it seems hard and scary.</p>
Cramlington Learning Village Book Club
An explosive new novel about the friendship and courage of a group of young boys living through the Second World War, from award-winning author Jenny Pearson.
There's a war going on out there, and I'm missing it.
When war comes to London in 1939, Ronnie Smith is scared and excited: scared of the bombs that fall at night, but excited to race his friends to collect the best bits of shrapnel every morning.
But for Ronnie, the battles aren't just in the sky and on the streets. They're at school and at home too. His little brother is up to no good with a secret job and dangerous new friends, and Ronnie's worried he's getting himself into big trouble.
Ronnie's desperate to help his little brother. But he isn't expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the whole war...