When the Sky Falls

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He struggles to deal with the fact his Mum left when he was small and now feels even more alone as his Dad is sent to fight in WW2. He skips school frustrated with a learning difficulty he hides, has anger issues, fights and does mostly as he pleases until his Gran can take no more and he is sent to London, the result of a closely guarded kept promise. That was part of a wider issue with the elements introduced as playing on Joseph's psyche never really cohering into a narrative. The dyslexia was underserved alongside the threads of Joseph's father, mother, and grandma. We didn't need resolution and catharsis on these threads but we did need a little development in each case if they were going to become a story rather than inert. A boy and a gorilla create an unbelievable bond in this powerful WWII tale for young readers, for fans of Alan Gratz and Michael Morpugo. Against the tide of devastation walked a boy: tutting and huffing at the tears and carrying-on. He looked just like any of the other evacuees in the station: regulation case, tag and gas mask box. But instead of being shoehorned onto a train, he was marching away from one, having just arrived.' This is our first introduction to Joseph, a 12 year old boy from Yorkshire, who is fizzing with rage. Angry at everything, with everything; determined to go it alone, convinced he's been rejected by everyone, adamant he'll not suffer the pain of abandonment again. Angry. He's met by Mrs F. She keeps her pain in a tin and wears her kindness and loyalty under a coat of brusque efficiency and focused determination. She speaks plainly and appreciates the same in return. Her days, and now Joseph's, are consumed by the upkeep and maintenance of her family's zoo ...of which precious little remains. And then there's Syd. Syd is about Joseph's age and works at the zoo after school. She talks about her pain, the grief becoming almost bearable if she can talk about it and working at the zoo keeps her busy and takes her mind off it. The pain of loss, it shrouds them all: Joseph, Mrs F, Syd and Adonis. The characterisation in this book was really good. Each character has an easily recognisable strong personality and together they all contrast very well. This strong characterisation will definitely speak out to younger audiences and make this book popular. I especially like the pairing of Mrs F and Joseph - they are both stubborn yet vulnerable characters yet as the plot develops the unlikely pairing find a home in each other. Joseph was a very dislikable character to begin with, which made the book hard to get into as I couldn’t empathise with him. However, as Layers of his personality are peeled away throughout the book you begin to like him.

When the Sky Falls is inspired by a true story. I would suggest that you prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster. I would also point out there are themes of a dark nature broached within the book that some might find a little unsettling. A deftly told story that dramatizes how Danes appointed themselves bodyguards—not only for their king, who was in the habit of riding alone in Copenhagen, but for their Jews. I liked the issues and themes dealt with in this book. Especially for a children's book, the issues were not sugar coated but presented for all age groups to understand which I liked. These issues could be easily understood through the character development and readability. The dyslexia representation was very good - it was interesting to see it through a child's perspective during the war and especially easy to feel Joseph's frustration as we know what he's talking about, but of course in the 1940's they didn’t. This further strengthened the emotion and understanding of themes in this book. The representation of war time was also great. Earle does a great job of bringing the past to light and keeping it accurate. But as well as revolving around the past this story also develops around the question ‘will they pull the trigger to kill Adonis?’. This question not only keeps a tense and exciting atmosphere but also reaches out to readers - I found myself questioning if I would do it - making it a more immersive experience.Behind every anger hides deep-seated sadness and that's a big life lesson that Joseph needs to learn. Mrs F, Grans associate is the lady now in charge of him. She is short, strict and makes it clear his behaviour will not be tolerated and sets about making him conform by going to school, doing chores and working. And this is where the story takes a different direction. Mrs F runs the family Zoo at a time in the Blitz when food is rationed and people think animals should be put down. But Mrs F has Adonis the gorilla and as Joseph works at the Zoo with the help of his new friend Syd he begins to warm to her, him and vice versa. But Joseph is not the only one with difficulties and a past and will that be the end of the loss in his short life?. Can they help heal each other?. I've been a fan of Phil Earle's work for a long while now, and ten years after "Being Billy" marked him out as a top author in the YA field, "When The Sky Falls" should catapult him into a whole new league. It's a book that's going to win awards and reach a huge audience, and the world at large is going to discover what those of us already in the know have been aware of for the past decade -- that Phil Earle is a must-read author. Twelve-year-old Joseph has had it tough, not only is there a world war raging, his mum has died, his dad has been enlisted to fight, and now his Grandmother has sent him to London to stay with an old friend of hers after she struggled to cope with him, whilst other children were being evacuated out of the city. The characters were also conveyed in a great way. Joseph was really hateable (if that's a word) at the start, but you gradually grow to like him, and begin to realise that he is a boy that is mentally troubled by his previous life. Syd is a wonderfully kind, yet talkative character who just wants to help. Mrs F, well, you just feel sorry for her at the beginning - she was just dumped with this boy, that, let's face it, she didn't really want.

A heartwarming story about the value of friendship and trust. In which love plays an important role. When the Sky Falls is currently shortlisted for the To Carnegie Medal 2022 and, my oh my, I hope it wins. This book has everything that makes a children's book so deliciously enjoyable. When The Sky Falls is a powerful take on relationships, friendships and finding yourself in a world gone mad. Expertly written by someone with a keen sense of history and a strong understanding of human vulnerabilities. There are many many books about the war, specifically children's experiences but I think this one is truly unique in its own way, and provides an original story that is very engaging. Unlike other stories, Joseph moves into London instead of away from it which provides a tense atmosphere, action and a generally more exciting and original concept. This book is inspired by a true story, and I think Earle has perfected the vision and made it a truly gripping concept.

From acclaimed author Phil Earle comes a touching historical fiction story of how a boy and a gorilla find redemption in each other amid the toughest of circumstances. Most children during the war were evacuated from cities, to safer places in the countryside. Joseph was not one of these children. He was 'evacuated' from his home in a place (which I think remains nameless) to a city (that as far as I know also remains nameless). Joseph is rude, abnoxious, and downright selfish. And he doesn't exactly get on with his host Mrs Farrelly. And when he's put to work on what remains of her zoo, it seems that even Adonis, the resident ape, takes a dislike to him. Soon, though, they seem to form a kind of friendship. But when the bombs start to fall, he has to make a choice - let the ape free or shoot him on the spot? And this decision may well cost him his life. A scrumptious plot that was fabulously delivered. This story completely consumed me. The author was brilliant as the narrator and he told the story so well on audio. However I am glad I went in quite blind to the book but because wow, I never saw that ending coming. I finished the story completely choked, nodding my head in disbelief with mixed emotions, still thinking through the subjects raised. So many twists it left me in awe and the authors explanation of it been a true story at the end astounded me further.