I requested this ARC before noticing that it is pitched as a middle grade/children’s book and was immediately worried about how such a topic would be approach. It was not something I heard about until adulthood, and I can’t believe that it isn’t talked about in British education.

This deals with the topic excellently. It is fast paced, the characters are all well rounded. The creation of a fictional child to be at the forefront of the story was excellent to make it accessible for the intended audience. It was informative without being bogged down in academic language and had a real message on standing up for social change and fighting for what you know to be right.

All in all an enjoyable read for all ages, and an excellent introduction for young people into an issue that is not covered enough in British education.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Battle of Cable Street is a little-known story of Britain’s battle to defeat the fascism that swept through Europe in the years before World War II. In the story, Elsie is a young girl living in London’s East End, in a neighborhood filled with people of Irish, Jewish, and other backgrounds. While she grows up in poverty, she is surrounded by deep friendships and the camaraderie of her peers. When a man named Sir Oswald Mosley rises to the political stage, however, life in her neighborhood becomes darker. Mosley starts the BUF, British Union of Fascists, and attempts to convince the poor East Enders that their poverty is the fault of the Jews. He creates an army of young volunteers called the blackshirts who terrorize Jewish people and damage Jewish businesses and keep order at his rallies in violent ways. When he plans a March through the East End, however, the people there have to choose whether to cower in their homes or to take a stand, accepting the brutality and potential imprisonment that it could lead to.

Tanya Landman tells a powerful and important story in this novel. In my years teaching World War II and the Holocaust, the most frequent question students ask is “why didn’t people stop Hitler?” Or “why didn’t the people just say no?” This story gives readers an understanding of the fear and shock that kept many silent. More importantly, it also shows them that some people DID say no. Some did stand up against the powers of fascism. And those people set the course for Britain.

Elsie is a realistic protagonist. She is young, though, for a YA main character, ranging from 9 to 12 in the main part of this story. I would recommend this story for Middle Grade readers or as a companion novel during a study of the events leading to WWII. My only caveat to parents and teachers is based on the Author’s Note at the end of the book. In it, Landman equates the rise of Oswald Mosley to current political events. As a teacher for over 25 years, I have always believed that politics has no place in the education of middle schoolers. Policies, values, history, and the political system are the lessons they need to prepare them to be responsible voters and citizens. I think the message in her note may confuse some younger readers, so parents or teachers should be prepared to spend some time explaining the author’s personal political beliefs, something quite different than the historical facts in this story. Otherwise, this is an engrossing story that will keep readers interested and ignite an interest in pre-war events. I whole-heartedly recommend it.

This is a great little booked telling the story of the battle, and explaining why it is important. I’d recommend for 9-14 year olds and will be ordering copies for the classroom/school library.

This was such a good read that was very well researched but didn't come across as academic which I like. Well written with a gripping and fast paced storyline and well developed characters. I didn't know much about the things discussed in this book but it certainly piqued my interest. Really enjoyable.

This was a brilliant book to bring to life a moment in history that could have be confined to the history books.

The story is fast paced and plot driven, along the way we meet and follow the trials and tribulations of Elsie and Mickey. What was really special was seeing how the events unfolded from the eyes of the young, of those who are most susceptible to influence and yet young enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for allowing me early access to this title*

When I first saw this title I was ready to read this immediately, then I saw that this was a middle grade/children's title and wondered how Tanya Landman would brooch such a topic. The Battle of Cable Street wasn't something I had heard about until my Sixth Form years at school, and I was appalled that this wasn't taught in the younger years at school as a look at the anti-Semitism of Britain. So when I thought about this, even though I was worried about how this was going to work, I realised that this could be a really important title in Children's literature to not only look at real cases of anti-Semitism but also see that many people can be united in the belief of anti-Fascism.

Tanya Landman did this book extremely well by creating a fictional character to be at the forefront of an entirely true story. The use of Elsie and the fact that she would be around the age of the main target audience allows for this title to be more accessible for children and allow for the readers to see that this event affected not only the adults but people of their age as well. It shows that young people can also stand up for social change and that those who may be different from us in any sense or form should not be discriminated against for this fact.

This title teaches young people the truth of Britain's anti-Semitic past but also shows the lengths people will go to fight for what is right. I believe that this could become a really important title in the teaching of children about historical events that aren't but should be taught at schools.

A straightforward but illuminating look at the Battle of Cable Street.

History as taught in schools often falls into a few well defined ‘chunks:’ the Tudors, The First World War etc and something like the heroic struggles of the inhabitants of Stepney in East London in 1936 against Oswald Mosley and his BUF Blackshirts is often relegated to a few lines.

Drawn from the testimony of real inhabitants of the East End this highlights the fear of a community that were hearing the whispers of the horrors perpetrated in Germany and seeing the rise of virulent antisemitism even amongst friends and neighbours. It is seen from the point of view of the young people caught up in the action.

I might have wished for more detail at points and the battle itself is slightly overwhelming but as a piece of social history and an important story I really applaud it.

This would be an excellent read for 9-10 year olds interested in History and a useful resource for a class looking at the period.

This was a brilliant book to bring to life a moment in history that could have be confined to the local history books or archives somewhere.

The story is fast paced and plot driven, along the way we meet and follow the trials and tribulations of Elsie and Mickey. What was really special was seeing how the events unfolded from the eyes of the young, of those who are most susceptible to influence and yet young enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

There are (unfortunately) so many parallels the modern world ultimately making this a brilliant book to be used as an account of a dramatic moment in history as well as a way to engage with the current political situation in Europe.

As an educator this book also serves as a brilliant way in and a reminder of the complexities of life in Britain leading up to the Second World War.