Michael Morpurgo - which ones do you like? Do your children like them?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Have been working my way through some myself - children are too young atm.

Was anyone else disappointed by 'Alone on a Wide Wide Sea'? I thought the first half was so much better than the second it was anticlimactic; the second bit wasn't that exciting because you know the girl's going to make it to England in the end, and all the boatbuilding stuff feels so badly researched compared with when he writes about farming or the Scilly Isles.

He seems to be amazingly good at dealing with quite complex themes in very simple language.

Have loved the others I've read (Kensuke's Kingdom, Farm Boy, Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, Why the Whales Came) - which others are good?

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Dd likes the white lion cub story. I read Private Peaceful and wept buckets!

Right will look out for all those.

(god, what is going on with my grammar in my OP? )

The only one I've ever read,was the one about Foot & Mouth.It made me cry as it was a bit close to home in some ways.

Kesukes Kingdom

and

the one set on the Scilly Isles

My DD1 who is nine wrote the following review in her reading diary.

Kensuke's Kingdom is the best book I have ever read. I just finished it and now I want to read it over and over.

She also loved Out of the Ashes, the foot and mouth one and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips and is just about to read Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. And War Horse

I loved Private Peaceful, but it is very sad.

My son, 7 years, just finished Adolphus Tips and Butterfly Lion. He's onto Billy the Kid, which he also saw as a play at the Unicorn Theatre, London. A friend of his just read Private Peaceful and loved it. I'm sure we'll get that on loan from him in the near future. Can't say enough about how great Michael Morpurgo is.

Ds (9) loved Cool and the Butterfly Lion.

Should add to this - we went to hear Michael Morpurgo speak at Hay on Wye. Huge audience and what was remarkable was when the children were asking questions afterwards it was clear that there was a huge variety of his books that they wanted to talk about -each question seemed to be about a different book. His books seem to have equal boy and girl appeal too which is great.

We started with The Butterfly Lion and Why the Wales Came, and ds loved both of them.
I agree he has the knack of presenting complex themes in accessible, appropriate language.
Ds is a bit "off" poignant books at the mo though, his choice. He is going through a cheerful heartless phase

private peaceful
one about the white stag

Absolutely brilliant.

Every household should have this collection from the Book People.

I just bought it to split up for DD1's birthday party bags. There will be three left over, which is great as there are only three we don't already have!

So Rosa's point about the variety in which one people like applies on this thread as well.

Anyone read 'Alone on a wide wide sea' and agree with me about it?

love kensuke
sleeping sword
my friend walter

loooovvee the unicorn lady...makes me cry

Kensuke's Kingdom very sad at the end - I cried!

But Kensuke's son is alive, isn't he? Which is pretty wonderful.

Oh I do love the way Morpurgo is always calling his heroes 'Michael' so it could just about be true.
I would probably have believed it was when I was 7 or 8

The description of Michael leaving Kensuke is heartbreaking!

Are these books all on a similar level? DS is 6 and in Y1 and has Cool has his school reading book. This is the longest book he has ever read and we are trying to finish it by the end of term because it belongs to the teaching assistant. But he is really enjoying it and I think it is giving him confidence that he can read chapter books for himself.

I wouldn't mind getting him another for the holidays but when I looked at Billy the Kid on Amazon it said it was from age 9. Also a review of Cool complaining about the language but we have not come across any yet. DS will be very excited if there is indeed some "swears".

Michael Morpurgo covers a wide age range - Cool is aimed at younger children. DD2 is in Year two and has read War Horse recently. The Butterfly Lion is also suitable. On the other hand, Private Peaceful, Alone on a Wide Wide Sea and possibly Kensuke's Kingdom are better left till Year Five or Six.