Phil Earle's "Until the Road Ends" is another cracking read to add to his impressive repertoire. Earle is a storyteller who understands the depth of human emotion and resilience. He weaves complex, relatable characters into gripping narratives that resonate deeply with young readers. This novel explores friendship, loyalty and perseverance in a way that young readers can identify with the experiences and challenges of the characters. This book was the perfect choice for our empathy month reading challenge and our year 6 book club loved discussing it,

Beau, a stray dog, has pretty much spent his entire life on the streets, ducking, diving and surviving. It's fair to say he's lived a tough life and his trust in humans is negligible as a result of his experiences with them. So it's a bit of a surprise when Peggy Alford, a young girl from Balham, saves him from a near-death experience and brings him to her family home After a slow start, with Beau struggling to lower his guard, he eventually comes to realise that the Alford family are the most kind-hearted peopleyou could ever hope to meet and so begins a very special relationship with Peggy, the daughter and eldest sibling of the family. The only downside to life as an Alford, is Mabel, the family cat, who is not shy in expressing her disgust at the new arrival.
Fast forward a year, and Beau is a fully fledged Alford and he couldn't be happier. That is until war is declared and the country prepares itself for an aerial onslaught from the Nazis. Living in London, the government issues it's orders, urging children to be evacuated to the countryside, where it will be safer. Additionally, pamphlets are distributed nationally detailing ways in which the population can deal with pets and animals during this time (if you've read While The Storm Rages, you'll know just what I mean).
Following the advice of the government, Mr and Mrs Alford decide it's best if Peggy and her brother are sent to live with their Aunt Sylvie, where they'll be out of harms away, although the family pets are to be kept at the family home in Balham. Beau is tasked with supporting Mr. Alford in his duties as an Air Raid Warden.
London is severely rocked by the aerial threat of the Nazis, with air raid sirens becoming the norm most evenings and its Mr.
Alford's job to make sure everyone, including his wife, are down in the tunnels or bunkers in time. However, after an intense round of bombing, a terrible tragedy occurs in the middle of Balham high street, leaving Beau no choice but to find out where Peggy has gone and reunite with her.
In the afterword of the book. Phil mentions how he never set out to write a series of books set during the Blitz, but my goodness, I am so glad that he did. I have been lucky enough to hear Phil talk about his writing process to children and I love his approach of
"What if?" when he creates worlds and stories. It started with Mrs F. and Adonis in "When The Sky Falls" and then it was Noah doing everything he could to keep his dog safe in "While The Storm Rages" and now "Until The Road Ends" brings us the story of Beau. ts amazing that in all of these books, there's an element of truth that Phil has been inspired by. I am very thankful to him for bringing some of these stories of heroism to the forefront of children's literature, because it has created so many wonderful conversations, with both children and adults, and that will only continue with his latest book.

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this as I have loved Phil Earle’s previous books, and this did not disappoint! I was hooked from the first chapter and loved the choice of the perspective of an adopted dog - Beau, a cat - Mabel and a pigeon named Bomber. The focus on the ‘small stories’ of individuals within the larger picture of WW2 is engaging and educational. The relationships between the main characters were well developed and I really enjoyed the back and forth between Beau and Mabel (typical for a dog and a cat!)
I would definitely recommend this to my KS3 students.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been meaning to read this authors work for a while now and as someone who enjoys emotional stories set around animals and love to learn as much as I can about our history especially ww2, this was a great pick.

This book is an emotional tale of love and bravery. A story of war, and sacrifice. Told from the point of view of Beau who was found on the streets and adopted by a lovely family and their cat Mabel just before WW2. The story sees the war and the effect of the blitz on these two animals and their neighbouring pigeon, Bomber. When the two children, Wilf and Penny are evacuated to the country, the pets stick around and adapt to life in the blitz… until tragedy strikes and the unlikely trio go on their own epic journey to find their loved ones.

A harrowing and emotional tale that has left me with tears more than once. Beautiful!

An enjoyable wartime adventure with plenty of brevity between its darker moments.

Whilst this was enjoyable on surface level, and Earle continues to be a master at developing beautiful human-pet relationships in his stories, this was not as strong as his previous books. I couldn't help but compare it to the phenomenal When the Sky Falls and While the Storm Rages and realise I wasn't nearly as invested in Beau's journey as I was in the others. I also thought the writing was weaker overall; not sure how specifically, but the dialogue and narration felt a little muddled to me.

That said, Earle still manages a wonderful story set in the wartime with heart-warming moments between its darker setting.

Phil Earle has done it again with this heartwarming book. It is a wonderful story from the perspective of Beau, a scruffy street dog who is taken in by a young girl Peggy. When the Blitz hits London, Peggy and her brother Wilf are evacuated to the coast and the family pets are left behind with her parents. But tragedy soon strikes, leaving Beau no choice but to make the long dangerous journey to find Peggy, with the help of Mabel, Wilf’s cat, and homing pigeon Bomber.
This is a perfect tale of determination, courage and hope for anyone who loves animals, historical fiction or a simply a brilliant heartwarming adventure. I heartily recommend it to anyone aged 9+.

‘This is Peggy we’re talking about. And Wilf too. So I’ll keep looking until the road ends.’
Peggy brings home a stray dog which she names Beau. Her brother, Wilf, already has a cat named, Mabel, who isn’t impressed by the new arrival and they co-exist unhappily. Beau adores Peggy and Wilf adores Mabel in the way it is with cats and dogs. A government leaflet arrives relaying concerns about feeding human and animal populations during the war. The leaflet suggests ‘having animals put to sleep.’ When ‘sleep’ is explained to them, the children are horrified, but their father, Mr Alford, promises to do his best to keep the animals alive. Peggy and her brother are evacuated to a lighthouse in Dorset and life changes very rapidly for Beau and Mabel. Mr Alford is an air-raid warden and night after night Beau works alongside him, searching out bodies in the rubble. Mabel meanwhile is dining out on the rat population in London. Beau befriends a pigeon called Bomber who updates them on the war situation and is looking forward to active duty. When disaster strikes the three of them embark on an incredible and dangerous journey.

It will be a pretty impossible task to find middle fiction better than this. The Second World War is always a fascinating topic for middle grade and the author brings a brilliant and original perspective, seeing the war through the eyes of the animals.
‘..there was precious little else, certainly very few aromas of life. How could humans do that to one another?’

Through the eyes of a cat, pigeon and dog the story provides a visual account on every level from the destruction on the ground to Bomber’s aerial eye witness accounts.. The characterisation is superb. Bomber is bombastic, ready for duty; Beau is gutsy, loyal with a capital L, brave and determined; Mabel is a character!!

That cat loves conflict even more than the Nazis. Stand up to her and she’ll make your life a misery. Ignore her and is drives her potty.’

This story is perfectly pitched combining a glorious seam of history with an incredible adventure.. This a story astounding friendship in adversity which keeps you guessing right to the end of the road. I had no idea about the history of animals during the war - this was mind blowing ! There are moments of glorious humour; jaw dropping moments, terrifying moments and some rather tearful moments. Children (and their adults) will absolutely adore reading this . Absolutely blooming wonderful!
With thanks to Netgalley and Andersen Press for my digital copy.
I have gone on to buy my own copy of this amazing book.

Following on from When The Sky Falls and While The Storm Rages comes Phil Earle's latest release, Until The Road Ends. In my own humble opinion, this is a masterpiece of a novel, exquisitely crafted and definitely my favourite one yet.

When Beau is saved from near death by a young girl, Peggy, he finally finds a home and a soulmate. But the happiness is not to last as war is declared and Peggy is evacuated.

Unable to go with her, Beau accompanies Peggy's dad on his warden duties, saving lives in his own right. But when tragedy strikes, Beau knows Peggy will need him more than ever. Accompanied by a cat and a pigeon, he sets out to find her, but how will they ever find their way safely?

This novel focusses once again on the fate and role of animals in WWII. Wartime novels can be a hard hitting read and this is no exception - there's horror and tragedy and several terrifying scenes which are not easy to digest. And yet, through a cast of incredible characters, Phil Earle peppers the darkness with light, hope and even humour. Mabel's razor-sharp cattiness is hilarious as is Bomber's positive attitude - watch out for his incredible intervention at the end.

However, it was Beau that stole my heart by magnifying all the things that make dogs magnificent. Based on the real life dogs who sniffed out people trapped in the wreckage of the Blitz, his loyalty, devotion and genuine goodness is both uplifting and moving. The journey of the three companions reminded me a lot of the classic film Homeward Bound but set in a far more treacherous time period. Their journey is gruelling and full of threat, both war related and not war related, but with some lighter moments too. The appearance of Koringa is a brilliant touch as the cinema scenes are gorgeous too! This is a story that is enthralling, terrifyingly immersive, educational and one I'll be talking about for a long time to come.

This book was so sad, but it had an incredibly heartwarming story at it's heart. As a Homeward Bound loving kid, this definitely hit the spot. Though the start of the war is a bit tough as there is mentions of people taking their healthy pets to be put down and there are mention of abuse in both the dog and the cat's pasts, the overall message is one of love between humans and animals.

At the start it was a bit slow, but once it warmed up, it was a really entertaining read. My only hesitation about it was how eager to be a soldier the pigeon was. It came off a bit pro-war and wasn't really argued against until nearer the end. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

The emotion was done well in this book. I loved the little historical touches like the cinema owner who took in pets abandoned by the war.

If you're buying this for a kid you know, be cautious that they won't be sensitive to the animal abuse and death, but otherwise I would very much recommend it.

Another cracking novel by Phil Earle. This is his third novel set during World War 2 and it is just as good as the other two, so do not miss it.

I love that each of his novel's in this trilogy are inspired by true life events but they are only just the start! The relationships he develops through his characterisation are masterful and captivating. The main 'voices' in this novel are animals, which makes it quite different from the first two books ('When the Sky Falls' and 'While the Storm Rages') but it works so well, and, possibly, makes it more accessible for younger readers. This novel reminds me of books by Megan Rix which I know are popular with the children I work with and I think this will be too.

Earle's novel has some hard-hitting moments which might be upsetting for some children. The premise of this story is that Beau and Mabel are compelled to travel from London to Bournemouth to be reunited with their 'owners' (Peggy and Wilf) who have been evacuated for their own safety; the children, Peggy and Wilf, have been made orphans following the death of both of their parents in the same large bombing attack one night in London. Understandably, some children may find this distressing, but Earle handles it delicately and with such precision that the adventure swiftly moves from the scene of devastation to an adventure of momentous proportions! During their journey, both Beau and Mabel are attacked and find themselves at risk, but any violence is not gratuitous but gritty and realistic. They are guided by Bomber, a brave pigeon, who only wants a positive outcome for his friends.

Lots of issues to discuss and tease out when reading this book and I can imagine it being a fabulous text to use in the class room for topic teaching. If you have yet to read any of Earle's WW2 books, go and get them all now!

Having read 'When the sky falls' and ' While the storm rages' previously I was sceptical that Phil Earle could have written yet another winning novel set in World War II. However, I am pleased to report that I am very wrong. I loved the first part of the story building up the characters and having been to Balham, it was interesting to hear the events that took place there in 1940. Perhaps due to my advancing years, it took me a while to adjust to the narrative in the last two thirds of the book which is told from the animals perspective. However, I found myself drawn in to the story, willing the animals on and fully engrossed in their jaw dropping adventures. I also may have shed a little tear as I completed the book. This title is perfect for confident readers in upper key stage 2. Will be on the look out for the next Phil Earle title. Thank you to netgalley for my ARC.

Until the Road Ends is another absolute winner: a powerful and heartfelt read that absolutely gripped me as I followed the most incredible journey alongside three unforgettable animals who have all found their way into my heart.

This story doesn’t shy away from the horrific loss of war and the harsh realities for those caught up in it. The bravery and sacrifice of the animals living through this time was both awe-inspiring and heart-breaking.

I loved that it is told from the perspective of three animals who are all very different, all of whom I really liked. Former street dog Beau is kind-hearted, courageous and tenacious in his efforts to help others and to be reunited with Peggy, the young girl who saved him, and took him into her home before she was evacuated to live with her aunt on the coast. Bomber, a homing pigeon, is the most loyal friend who is determined to help Beau before helping in the war effort. Mabel, the cat, has more in common with Beau than at first seems as she hides her fear and love for Wilf, Peggy’s brother, behind a sarcastic, seemingly uncaring, exterior.

Together, these three take an incredible journey from London to the coast to be reunited with Peggy and Wilf after a terrible event, a journey filled with danger, discoveries and hardship, but one in which they show unbelievable courage, friendship and teamwork as they fight for what they need.

This is an inspirational story of courage, friendship and hope that completely captivated me, and is one that I cannot recommend highly enough for readers of 9+.

Phil Earle has done it again! Reminiscent of ‘The Incredible Journey’, this story centres around the adventures of Beau, a rescue dog belonging to Peggy, a young girl from London; Mabel, a haughty cat whose companion is Peggy’s brother Wilf; and Bomber, a homing pigeon neighbour of theirs who has set his heart on saving the country through his own soldierly war efforts.

Set during the Second World War, we are faced with the same dilemma as ‘While the Storm Rages’, in that citizens are called upon to euthanise their pets as part of the war effort. Saved from this fate by empathetic parents who agree to keep them in the face of community disapproval, the children are nevertheless evacuated to an aunt’s house on the south coast.

Beau becomes a hero of the Blitz, helping Peggy and Wilf’s father to save many lives in his role as a fire warden. We enjoy the banter between the three animals, and the apparent incompatibility of Beau and Mabel in particular.  It is heart-warming that Peggy sends letters home which Dad reads to Beau as he is their intended recipient. As ever, the characters are drawn with warmth and humour, making us care very much about their fate.

When tragedy strikes, the three animals set off on their epic journey to find the children. Cue the nail biting adventure as they encounter all sorts of terrors which require each of them to display remarkable courage and compassion.

Based on true facts and imbued with Earle’s lovable style, this joins ‘When the Sky Falls’ and ‘While the Storm Rages’ as a must read middle grade book.

This is an “animal separated from owner sets out on a quest to find them” story. The only difference with this one is it is based on facts. The acknowledgements reveal that many aspects of the story did actually occur during WWII.

I’m not a great fan of animal stories so I’m definitely not the target audience but I found it quite readable.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A perfectly structured and beautifully accessible look into The Blitz through the eyes of a loveable pack of animals, including a wonderfully wise and brave pigeon, a best-est dog and a relatably acerbic cat. There is quite a lot of sadness, as you would expect from the subject matter, but dealt with very lightly. It is also packed full of adventurous stories drawn from real life wartime characters. The whole book has a feeling of Stand By Me to it, albeit with animal characters and set during WWII. My only complaint is that would have loved a little more time at the end to enjoy the climax.

The children were so excited to have another excellent animal adventure book from the pen of Phil Earle. They never disapoint. The drama , compassion and adventure make then wonderful family reading.

I was so pleased to be able to read Until the Road Ends on NetGalley. I had really enjoyed reading Phil Earle’s previous two books set in WW2 about children and their relationship with animals.
This book didn’t disappoint! It is told from the point of view of Beau, a stray dog rescued by a young girl called Peggy. She and her brother Wilf are evacuated to Aunt Sylvia’s house just outside Bournemouth. Beau can’t forget Peggy, but helps Dad with his air warden duties with his strong sense of smell.
When the unthinkable happens, Beau’s first thought is to go and find Peggy. Accompanied by Mabel the cat and Bomber the pigeon, they undertake a mammoth journey in search of their children.
Beautifully written, Until the Road Ends deals with loss, friendship and family. Not just for animal lovers, but those who enjoy reading well crafted stories with a heart. Highly recommended!

What a tale! I love a book that leads me to more knowledge by way of a cracking story and excellent research, and Phil Earle's latest story did not disappoint!

The 'Great Pet Massacre' is a key part of said research that forms part of the narrative, something of which I knew a little, but hadn't realised what an impact on morale it had had. Here, Beau is one such pet facing death by government order until Peggy manages to work her persuasive magic on her father. What a talent Beau turns out to have too. When tragedy, in the form of a huge bomb, strikes at the heart of Peggy's family, Beau, along with a very accurate-sounding feline sidekick and a bombadier of a bird makes a decision.

What follows is a very unsentimental, exciting, well-spun tale of overcoming adversity, and the power of (sometimes unlikely) friendship which allows bravery to bloom in our trio of animals. Unsentimental may need some explanation: the story is very emotive, and evoked such a reaction during reading, but it manages to achieve something very clever: it avoids mawkishness and never slips into trite or twee renderings. The animals themselves are written brilliantly - Earle obviously loves animals, and understands them, because they are rendered very well. Their dialogue in particular I found very clever - Mabel sounds like every cat who has ever owned my family! As a Dorset resident, living moments from Poole's beaches, the inclusion of our chain ferry, complete with the noises it makes, brought this story even closer.

As for the Googling - Koringa the fakir alongside her very own Churchill definitely merits a story of her own!

This is a fantastic story of adventure and bravery, whilst also educating youngsters on a period of history which is so important to keep alive. The characters of Beau, Mabel and Bomber are the perfect companions and pull you in to keep you rooting for them to the very end.

The story is beautifully written and I often found myself punching the sky with some of the language used (I think ‘incongruous’ was my biggest highlight!).

So many elements of the story, including the character of Beau, are based on true events which made the story feel so much more alive. It has left me wanting to find out more and I’m sure like many others, it will send me down a Google rabbit hole. This is an unforgettable story that I will be talking about and retelling to many.

Until The Road Ends is the glorious, heart-stopping, heart-breaking and heart-warming story of a family who wrap each other in love and kindness. Beau, a stray dog, becomes part of this family at the outbreak of World War Two when Peggy falls in love with him on the street.

When evacuations are ordered and Peggy and her brother Wilf must go and live in a lighthouse away from London and falling bombs, Beau is devastated. Mabel the cat, plays it cool but she's secretly just as sad. With the guidance of Bomber, the pigeon, Beau grows in strength however to make his girl proud and becomes part of the rescue mission to find buried survivors during the Blitz.

A turn of events, leads to Beau, Bomber, Mabel making an epic journey out of London across the country in a valiant effort to be reuinted with Peggy and Wilf. The intrepid trio encounter all kinds of difficulties that will have you holding your breath and smiling at their deepening friendship. Bomber, the wisest pigeon you will ever meet is a soldier through and through. Mabel is haughty and arrogant but she's dedicated, not that she'll let anyone see that. And Beau, oh Beau, - a heart as big as London itself but with the bravery and determination of a thousand search and rescue dogs. Everyone deserves a Beau in their lives, and if you can't have a Beau then at least you have this story.

This is excellent story-telling from Phil Earle, again, in an incredibly touching book. I loved how so much of it was from the perspective of the animals. This way of presenting the story with some of the more tragic elements being delicately dealt with means it is possibly more open to slightly younger readers than Phil's other books. I definitely recommend you read Until the Road Ends.