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INDEX

Pages 1-10ANIMALS: War Horse, Farm Boy, The Dancing Bear, Born to Run, Butterfl y Lion, Not Bad for a Bad Lad, Little Foxes, Out of the Ashes, Cool!

WAR: Shadow, Private Peaceful, A Medal for Leroy, Why the Whales Came, The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, An Elephant in the Garden, Little Manfred, The Mozart Question

LEGENDS: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf, Outlaw, The White Horse of Zennor, The Last Wolf, My Friend Walter, Sparrow

VOYAGES: Kensuke’s Kingdom, Running Wild, Twist of Gold, Dear Olly, Alone on a Wide Wide Sea, Kaspar Prince of Cats

Pages 11-12Title list and order form

Page 13About Michael Morpurgo

November 2013 sees a month-long celebration of Michael Morpurgo’s most popular titles, marking his 70th birthday this year. We’re inviting schools, libraries and bookshops nationwide to take part and celebrate 30 unmissable books by one of the nation’s best-loved authors.

To help you, we have created this 16-page guide, based on the Nation’s Favourite Michael Morpurgo books. This includes a short description, bibliographic information and Nation’s Favourite reader and media reviews.

KEY

To help you navigate Michael Morpurgo’s top 30 titles, we have split this guide into four sections, denoting the four overarching themes of the books:

war

voyages

animals

legends

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Friday 01 November 2013

War Horse9781405226660 | £6.99 Paperback | Egmont

In 1914, Joey, a young farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his offi cer, he charges towards the enemy, witnessing the horror of the frontline.

But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey’s courage touches the soldiers around him.

‘ Not since Black Beauty has there been a book like this one. War Horse also tells the plight of the soldiers, both German and English and the horrors that they went through. It made me cry but the ending made me smile as well. I think everyone should read it and Anna Sewell would have been proud of it!’ T.J. Measures (Amazon reviewer)

Saturday 02 November 2013

Farm Boy9780007450657 | £5.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

Fifty years after Albert and Joey fought their way home from the battlefi elds of WWI, Albert’s son tells his own grandson more about the brave horse and the daring risks his family took.

‘ Here is a very important book, combining the very best of storytelling and illustration’ Junior Education

‘ If there are such things as contemporary classics, then this, surely is one of them’ Daily Mail

Sunday 03 November 2013

The Dancing Bear9780006745112 | £4.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

High in the mountains, in a tiny village, an abandoned bear cub is adopted by a lonely orphan child. Soon they are the best of friends, beloved by the whole village – safe, until the arrival of a glamorous fi lm crew who need a dancing bear . . .

Isabella (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘It will touch the your heart and make you want to read it again and again and that’s GUARANTEED!’

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Monday 04 November 2013

Born to Run9780007230594 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

When Patrick saves a litter of greyhound puppies from the canal, he can’t bear to hand them all over to the RSPCA. He pleads with his parents: couldn’t he just keep one of them? Patrick christens his new puppy Best Mate, and that’s what he becomes.

Then one day Best Mate is kidnapped by a greyhound trainer, and begins a new life as a champion race dog. But what will happen when he can’t run any more?

Meghan (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘A simple well written story that just touches your heart irrespective of your age’

Maisy (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘This book inspires courage in the most timid of people . . . or dogs!’

Tuesday 05 November 2013

The Butterfl y Lion9780006751038 | £4.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

‘All my life I’ll think of you, I promise I will. I won’t ever forget you.’

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfl y lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten.

‘ The Butterfl y Lion is unique among animals and books, and will touch all hearts – both young and old’ Virginia McKenna, Born Free Foundation

Wednesday 06 November 2013

Not Bad for a Bad Lad9781848773202 | £5.99 Paperback | Templar

When a young boy gets a reputation for being naughty at school, he reacts by being the bad lad that everyone expects. Leaving school at 14, he becomes a thief and eventually ends up in Hollesley Prison. But Mr Alfi e, the stable manager, decides to give the boy a chance, letting him look after the horses. Can this bad lad’s skill with horses save him from a life of crime and help him achieve his dreams?

‘ A classic collaboration and a tale of redemption’ The Bookseller

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Thursday 07 November 2013

Little Foxes9781405233392 | £5.99 Paperback | Egmont

Bullied at school, nagged in Aunty May’s tenth-fl oor council fl at, there’s only one place Billy really feels alive – in the wilderness by the canal. There he watches a cygnet on the water and protects a family of fox cubs. Then his secret place is discovered and the fox family decimated. Unwanted and unloved, Billy and the last fox run for their lives.

‘ Combines suspense, surprise and a tear or two’ Observer

‘ A blend of cruel reality and the happiness it is possible to fi nd at the end of a long and lonely road! Another book that all children should read!’ meganwonderdog (Amazon review)


Out of the Ashes9781447207337 | £5.99 Paperback | Macmillan

On New Year’s Day Becky Morley begins to write her diary. By March, her world has changed for ever. Foot-and-mouth disease breaks out on a pig farm hundreds of miles from the Morleys’ Devon home, but soon the nightmare is a few fi elds away. Local sheep are infected and every animal is destroyed. Will the Morleys’ fl ock be next? The waiting and hoping is the most agonizing experience Becky has ever had.

Lucy (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘I thought this book was written very sensitively. I could relate to Becky and her life, and to the things she cared about’


Cool!9780007131044 | £4.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

One day Robbie is hit by a car while running after his dog, Lucky. Unconscious, Robbie lies in hospital, unable to speak, move or eat. But he can hear; he is aware.

His friends and family try desperately to reach him – even Zola, his favourite Chelsea footballer, comes to see him. And still Robbie can’t ‘wake up’. Until one day, against hospital rules, Dad brings Lucky into the hospital. Can Lucky bring Robbie back to life?

Bebe (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘I really like that the story is told from inside Robbie’s head and everything is described very well and in great detail, it is as if you are there with him’

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Sunday 10 November 2013Remembrance Sunday

A Medal for Leroy9780007339686 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

Inspired by the true story of Walter Tull the fi rst black offi cer in the British army.

Michael doesn’t remember his father. He was an RAF pilot lost in the war, but that’s all Michael knows. And his mother won’t talk about him.

But when Michael’s Auntie Snowdrop gives him a medal, and then a faded photograph, a story begins to be told.

A secret story about his family and who Michael’s father really was . . . a story that will change everything.

‘ A simple story, beautifully told’ Sunday Express

Laura (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘Moving and beautiful . . . a story about love, loss and identity which will resonate with everyone’

Monday 11 November 2013Armistice Day

Private Peaceful9780007150076 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

Thomas ‘Tommo’ Peaceful and his elder brother Charlie do everything together. They used to go to school together, face their problems together, sleep and eat together; they even loved the same girl . . . but now they have to face the many facets of war together. Can a bond and loyalty between brothers overcome the brutality of the front lines and bring them safely home? When the lines of heroism and cowardice collide, what can one man or even a brother do to fi ght the injustices of it all?

‘ Full of warmth as well as grief, conveying vividly how precious it is to be alive . . .’ Sunday Times


Shadow9780007339617 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

When a western dog shows up outside the caves in Afghanistan where Aman lives with his mother, Aman is initially repulsed – it is not customary for people to keep dogs as pets in his part of the world. But when Aman and his mother fi nally decide to make a bid for freedom, the dog Aman has called Shadow will not leave their side. Soon it becomes clear: the destinies of boy and dog are linked, and always will be . . .

‘ As ever, Morpurgo’s warmth and humanity suffuse a story of courage, love and hope’ Amanda Craig, The Times

‘ Passionate and touching’ Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading

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Why the Whales Came9781405229258 | £5.99 Paperback | Egmont

‘ The Birdman puts spells on people. We mustn’t talk to him. We’re not supposed to.’

Gracie and Daniel have been warned to stay away from the mad Birdman- but the message in the sand tells them that the Birdman isn’t what he seems.

Then they get lost in the fog and stranded on Samson Island. Should they believe the Birdman’s story that the island is cursed?

Jess (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘It reminds me of the islands in Scotland I have been to. It was so mysterious and easy to make connections with the characters. It was if you were there with Michael whilst he was writing it!’


The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips9780007182466 | £5.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

It’s 1943, and Lily Tregenza lives on a farm, in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton. Her life is scarcely touched by the war until one day Lily and her family, along with all of the other villagers, are told to move out of their homes – lock, stock and barrel.

Soon, the whole area is out of bounds, as the Allied forces practise their landings for D-day, preparing to invade France. But Tips, Lily’s adored cat, has other ideas.

‘ A succinctly engaging tear-jerker, it is also full of happiness and affection and has a joyful ending . . . It is also about people who care enough to look after each other, offering a lesson in life as well as history’ Sunday Times, Children’s Book of the Week


An Elephant in the Garden9780007339587 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

In Dresden, 1945, Elizabeth and Karli’s mother works at the zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene. Then the zoo director tells her that the dangerous animals – including the elephants – must be shot before the town is bombed. Unable to give Marlene up, their mother moves her into the back garden to save her . . . and then the bombs start to fall.

‘ This is a handsome, very pickupable book. Brightly and informatively jacketed, its text punctuated by lovely, fl uid ink and wash illustrations by Michael Foreman, it deserves a prominent place on school library bookshelves and, if there is any justice in the world, in bookshops.’ Guardian

‘ A thrilling and moving new novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfl y Lion!’ Waterstones

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Little Manfred9780007491636 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

When the Bismarck sinks, one of the only German survivors is taken on board a British ship as a prisoner of war. Sent to live with a host family, Walter must adapt to a new way of life, in the heart of an enemy country. Gradually, though, he fi nds a friend in ten-year-old Grace. So when the time fi nally comes to go back to Germany, it’s an emotional parting. The question is, will Walter and Grace ever meet again? In 1966, with the World Cup coming to Britain, that opportunity may just have come along . . .

‘ This is a very touching, absorbing story vividly bringing events to life’ Primary Times

‘ This book is perfect for anybody who wants to fi nd out about the Second World War and how it affected real people’ First News


The Mozart Question9781406312201 | £5.99 Paperback | Walker

When Lesley is sent to Venice to interview world-renowned violinist Paulo Levi on his fi ftieth birthday, she cannot believe her luck. She is told that she can ask him anything at all – except the Mozart question.

But it is Paulo himself who decides that it is time for the truth to be told. And so follows the story of his parents as Jewish prisoners of war, forced to play Mozart violin concerti for the enemy; how they watched fellow Jews being led off to their deaths and knew that they were playing for their lives.

‘ Beautifully illustrated, this is a moving tale of secrets, lies and the past’ Independent


Sir Gawain and the Green Knight9781406348880 | £5.99 Paperback | Walker

Of all the tales of the Knights of the Round Table, the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is surely the most magical. Here are thrills and enchantment, chivalry and courage, a challenge and a quest. Its hero is the greatest of all King Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain. His adversary is the fearsome Green Knight, who rides into Camelot one New Year’s Eve with a challenge that strikes dread into Arthur’s court. For Gawain, it is the start of an extraordinary adventure.

‘ With Morpurgo’s expert retelling and Foreman’s masterly spread – either eerily atmospheric or packing a dramatic punch – this is quite perfect’ The Bookseller

‘ Morpurgo handles the text with care and gives young readers just enough of the humour and darkness of the original tale without overwhelming them’ Publishers Weekly

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Beowulf9781406348873 | £5.99 Paperback | Walker

In fi fth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him.

Beowulf’s terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fi end, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fi re-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. Artfully retold and magnifi cently illustrated, this companion volume to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is made instantly accessible to children by a formidable children’s book partnership.

‘ Morpurgo . . . preserves much of the oddness and complexity of the original’ New York Times Book Review ‘ This complete rendition is distinguished by both handsome packaging and a prose narrative that artfully mixes alliterative language reminiscent of the original, with currently topical references . . . Morpurgo puts his fi nger on the story’s enduring appeal’ Kirkus Reviews


Outlaw9780007465927 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

‘ Tell the sheriff, tell Sir Guy of Gisbourne, tell everyone in Nottingham, that the Outlaws rule here in Sherwood, that we rule in the king’s name . . . I am Robin Hood.’

Homeless and lost in a dark, strange forest, young Robin is rescued by a motley crew of misfi ts. He yearns to avenge his father and seek justice against cruel oppressors, to fi nally defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham, once and for all.

‘ Morpurgo’s gift is to make this long-ago world of danger and heartbreak accessible without ever patronising his young readers’ Sunday Mercury


The White Horse of Zennor9781405256759 | £5.99 Paperback | Egmont

Since the beginning of time, strange and mysterious things have happened here . . .

At the furthest edge of Britain, where the sea gently washes over the land and myths brush against reality, lies Zennor. Set in a churchtown where men become beasts and ghosts roam freely, these are haunting and unforgettable tales where magic lies around every corner.

Bekkins (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘This was my favourite book as a horse mad youngster. Many great memories of re-reading this book until it fell apart’

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The Last Wolf9780440865070 | £4.99 Paperback | Random House

Robbie McLeod and a wolf cub, both orphaned, venture far from their birthplace, a land of rebellious fi ghters and vicious redcoats. There is little constancy in Robbie’s adventurous life, save for the companionship of his wolf. But when at last Robbie fi nds a place where he can peacefully make his home, he knows in his heart that the wolf must fi nd his own natural home too . . .

‘ Michael Morpurgo has a knack of taking one small fact and weaving around it a vibrant tale that brings a slice of history to life’ TES

‘ The deceptively simple narrative style . . . conveys hope and despair, love and hate, and fi nally peace . . . Satisfying, thoughtful and ultimately heart-warming’ Financial Times

‘ This is a beautifully produced book, with a striking peephole cover and pen-and-wash illustrations by Michael Foreman that serve to dramatise the emotional depth of this touching story about friendship in adversity’ Glasgow Herald


My Friend Walter9781405229265 | £6.99 Paperback | Egmont

Living with a ghost can have its diffi culties, I discovered, even if he is your friend.

Remember Sir Walter Raleigh, who laid his cloak in a puddle so that Queen Elizabeth I could walk across? Well, Bess meets his ghost and fi nds out he’s an ancestor.

How will Bess explain Sir Walter to her family? Especially when he breaks her brother’s fi shing rod, steals a horse and smokes cigars in her room!

Izzy (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘Very fun, very funny book and it grabs the readers attention. I love the book’


Sparrow9780007465958 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

‘ There was only one creature on this earth who really knew Joan. He was a sparrow, just an ordinary sparrow . . . He was her best friend on this earth, maybe her only friend, too.’

A young girl faces an impossible task – to save her beloved France from tyrants. To free her country, Joan will lose everyone she has ever loved. But she listens to her heart and believes in her calling.

Through patience, perseverance and unbreakable spirit, Joan of Arc leads armies to victory and fi nds the strength to face the cruellest of destinies.

‘ The former children’s laureate has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers’ Guardian

‘ Champagne quality over a wide range of subjects’ Daily Telegraph

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Kensuke’s Kingdom9781405264259 | £5.99 Paperback | Egmont

‘ I heard the wind above me in the sails. I remember thinking, this is silly, you haven’t got your safety harness on, you haven’t got your lifejacket on. You shouldn’t be doing this . . . I was in the cold of the sea before I could even open my mouth to scream.’

Washed up on an island in the Pacifi c, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fi sh, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone . . .

Ciera (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘This book changed my thoughts on reading all together. It is absolutely brilliant and I’ve read it three times already and it brings a tear to my eye every time’

Soph says: ‘It makes you cry, there is so much determination and spirit, oh it’s just fantastic!’


Running Wild9780007267026 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn’t just a holiday. It’s an escape, a new start, a chance to put things behind them – things like the death of Will’s father.

And to begin with, it seems to be just what they both needed. But then Oona, the elephant Will is riding on the beach, begins acting strangely, shying away from the sea. And that’s when the tsunami comes crashing in, and Oona begins to run. Except that when the tsunami is gone, Oona just keeps on running.

Lee (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘I loved Oona and her love and protection for Will. Great story!’


Twist of Gold 9781405229289 | £6.99 Paperback | Egmont

Sean and Annie have one chance to escape the potato famine in Ireland, but they must leave their dying mother behind. They travel in search of their father, across rough seas, to a new land of hardship: America.

There they busk on a city street, run a riverboat, join a wagon train across the prairies, and dig for gold.It’s a long and dangerous journey, but their family’s survival depends upon it.

BookWorm says: ‘I can’t actually get over this book; I found it really moving and emotional. Especially when I read the letter that the Colonel writes to them. I can see this book staying with me for a very long time’

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Dear Olly9780006753339 | £4.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

Olly’s brother Matt wants to go and work with children who have been made orphans, through war, in Africa. He wants to be a clown and make them laugh. His mother and sister want him to stay in England and go to university.

Hero, a swallow, has a journey to make too. He must fl y to Africa for the winter to join all the other swallows. His journey is diffi cult and fraught with danger.

Three separate stories are woven into one powerful and moving novel whose central theme not only exposes the horrors of war and of landmines, but also the endurance of the human spirit.

Alice (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘I love how it’s about three very different lives. It is truly amazing how it is based in England and then travels and ends up in Africa’


Alone on A Wide Wide Sea9780007230587 | £6.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

When six-year-old orphan Arthur Hobhouse is shipped to Australia after WWII he loses his sister, his country and everything he knows. Overcoming enormous hardships with fellow orphan Marty, Arthur is fi nally saved by the extraordinary people he meets and by his talent for boat-design and sailing.

Now he has built a special boat for his daughter Allie – a solo yacht designed to carry her to England in search of his long-lost sister. Will the threads of Arthur’s life fi nally come together?

‘ Executed with Morpurgo’s distinctive fl air. His language remains beautifully clean and clear’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly Amanda Craig, The Times


Kaspar Prince of Cats9780007267002 | £5.99 Paperback | HarperCollins

Kaspar the cat fi rst came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket – Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky’s things to her room.

But Johnny didn’t expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny – and Kaspar – all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way.

Dor (Nation’s Favourite reviewer) says: ‘I read the story as a whole class novel and the children were totally captivated by the story and were totally enthralled right up until the very last line of the book. The suspense in the story was thrilling and kept the children predicting the story the whole way through’

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Farm Boy 9780007450657 Paperback £5.99

The Dancing Bear 9780006745112 Paperback £4.99

Born to Run 9780007230594 Paperback £6.99

The Butterfl y Lion 9780006751038 Paperback £4.99

Cool! 9780007131044 Paperback £4.99

Shadow 9780007339617 Paperback £6.99

Private Peaceful 9780007150076 Paperback £6.99

A Medal for Leroy 9780007339686 Paperback £6.99

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips 9780007182466 Paperback £5.99

An Elephant in the Garden 9780007339587 Paperback £6.99

Little Manfred 9780007491636 Paperback £6.99

Outlaw 9780007465927 Paperback £6.99

Sparrow 9780007465958 Paperback £6.99

Running Wild 9780007267026 Paperback £6.99

Dear Olly 9780006753339 Paperback £4.99

Alone on A Wide Wide Sea 9780007230587 Paperback £6.99

Kaspar Prince of Cats 9780007267002 Paperback £5.99

War Horse 9781405226660 Paperback £6.99

Little Foxes 9781405233392 Paperback £5.99

Why the Whales Came 9781405229258 Paperback £5.99

The White Horse of Zennor 9781405256759 Paperback £4.99

My Friend Walter 9781405229265 Paperback £6.99

Kensuke’s Kingdom 9781405264259 Paperback £5.99

Twist of Gold 9781405229289 Paperback £6.99

Out of the Ashes 9781447207337 Paperback £5.99

Not Bad for a Bad Lad 9781848773202 Paperback £5.99

The Last Wolf 9780440865070 Paperback £4.99

The Mozart Question 9781406312201 Paperback £5.99

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 9781406348880 Paperback £5.99

Beowulf 9781406348873 Paperback £5.99

War Horse ISBN Format Price Quantity






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Please use this form to order your Michael Morpurgo books. You will need to send a separate form for each publisher – details of where to send orders are on the back of this form

MORPURGO_16PP.indd 13 17/09/2013 10:32

Name:

Address:

Date:

Customer Account No:

Order Ref No.:

Special Instructions:

Please use this form to order your Michael Morpurgo books. You will need to send a separate form for each publisher – details of where to send orders are below

Please send HARPERCOLLINS orders to: HarperCollins Distribution Services, Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow G64 2QTTel: 0870 787 1722 | Fax: 0870 787 1725

Please send EGMONT orders to:[email protected] | Tel: 0844 576 8113 | Fax: 0844 576 8114

Please send MACMILLAN orders to:Customer Services tel 0845 070 5656 | Email [email protected] order online at www.panmacmillan.com

Please send TEMPLAR orders to:Schools: Email Clare Kuzimski at [email protected]: Send via GBS at [email protected] or call 01476 541 080

Please send RANDOM HOUSE orders to:Schools: Email Sharon Gordon at [email protected]: Email [email protected] or call 01206 255678

Please send WALKER orders to: Schools and Indies: Email TBS at [email protected] or call 01206 255678

For details of all Michael Morpurgo books, please visit www.michaelmorpurgo.com/all-books

ORDER FORM

MORPURGO_16PP.indd 14 17/09/2013 10:32

is, in his own words, ‘oldish, married with three children, and a grandfather six times over.’ Born in 1943, he attended schools in London, Sussex and Canterbury (one at least of which was horrible enough to inspire him to describe it obliquely in The Butterfly Lion). He went on to London University to study English and French, followed by a step into the teaching profession and a job in a primary school in Kent. It was there that he discovered what he wanted to do.

‘We had to read the children a story every day and my lot were bored by the book I was reading. I decided I had to do something and told them the kind of story I used to tell my kids – it was like a soap opera, and they focused on it. I could see there was magic in it for them, and realised there was magic in it for me.’

Living in Devon, listening to Mozart, and working with children have provided most of the stimulae Michael needs to discover and write his stories. He spends about half his life mucking out sheds with the children, feeding sheep or milking cows; the other half he spends dreaming up and writing stories. ‘For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out – the writing down of it I always find hard. But I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers.’

In 1976 Michael and his wife, Clare, started the charity Farms for City Children (FFCC), which aims to relieve the poverty of experience of young children from inner city and urban areas by providing them with a week in which they work actively and purposefully on farms in the heart of the countryside. They now have three farms – Nethercott in Devon, Treginnis in Wales and Wick in Gloucestershire. ‘As a teacher I realised many children had little real contact with the world around them – to them the television was real. I wanted them to experience life at first hand.’ In the last 30 years over, 50,000 children from cities and towns throughout the UK have spent a week of their lives living and working on one of the three farms.

Author photo © Richard Cannon

About

Visit ’s website at www.michaelmorpurgo.com for activities, videos, news stories and more. From 1 November the website will host free teaching resources, brand new author videos and audio downloads.

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November 2013 sees a month-long celebration of Michael Morpurgo’s most popular titles, marking his 70th birthday. We’re inviting schools,

libraries and bookshops nationwide to take part and celebrate 30 unmissable books by one of the nation’s best-loved authors.

To help you, we have created this 16-page guide, based on the Nation’s Favourite Michael Morpurgo books. This includes a short description,

bibliographic information, and Nation’s Favourite reader and media reviews, as well as an order form.

From 1 November www.michaelmorpurgo.com will host free resources, author videos and audio downloads, focussing on a different book each day. From War Horse to Beowulf

and The Butterfly Lion to Kensuke’s Kingdom, this month-long celebration of one of the best-loved writers for children is not to be missed.

Please contact [email protected] for further information.

Author photo ©

Richard C

annon

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