Shrapnel Boys
By Jenny Pearson
Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd

Jenny Pearson delivers again with grit, compassion and questionable loyalty.
Through the clever twists and turns of her storytelling she asks;
Who should you trust?
Should it be family first?
Or is a friendships the next best thing to family, love and loyalty?

This thrilling edge of your seat, historical adventure story is set during the London Blitz. But it is big brother Ronnie's attempts to keep his younger brother from falling in with the wrong crowd that uncovers secrets about the war.

But it is the friendships, decisions and courage of a group of young boys living through the reality of the Second World War that makes this a page turner!

'There's a war going on out there, and I'm missing it.'
Ronnie Smith is the older brother, but he’s scared and excited:
scared of the bombs that fall at night,
excited to collect shrapnel with his mates every morning,
scared about what his baby brother is up to.

Secret jobs and dangerous new friends equals suspicion for Ronnie and trouble for Micky. But neither of them are expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the war...

A fabulous new historical story, suitable for ages 10+ that questions, family, friendships and who you can trust.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

I'm not sure how much I can say I loved this book. I have been a fan of Jenny Pearson but this one hits a little differently. There is still humour and emotion, making me laugh and cry.
In her first historical novel, we meet brothers living in London with their mother at the start of world war 2. Ronnie is suspicious of Johnny, who has shown an interest in his Mum and younger brother, taking him to work at all hours if the day.
This is a tale of live, friendship and courage with the backdrop of war. An incredible book, will certainly be purchasing a copy for myself and school.

This is a rather difficult read. The language is highly accessible but the content presents a few challenges. But maybe that is why it is good. Issues such as war and bullying are not issues that we can sweep under the carpet. But like what other reviewers have said, this might be best used in a classroom setting where there can be guided discussion.

Brotherhood is where I want to start this review. I cannot herald the relationship between Ronnie and Micky enough. This is the type of brotherhood relationship that comes along every once in a while and latches onto your heart so tightly and you’re with them through every second and emotion. I would equate it to my love of the relationship between Eddie and Mickey in Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Pearson has crafted a brotherhood that will last the test of time and I cannot wait for the world to fall in love with them.

Lugs and Tiger are another duo I cannot help but absolutely adore with every fibre of my being. Lugs is an absolute sweetheart and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. His morality and strength in his principles is a think of beauty and I think he’s one of my standout middle grade characters of the year so far. Additionally, his love of Tiger even despite his initial detestation at being loved shows how wonderful a boy he is.

The WW2 setting and storyline is so human-led and driven that it’s both at the forefront but, at the right times, drops into the background suitably to allow the character led moments to sparkle in all their glory. Whilst this is historical fiction, you can find yourself somewhat forgetting this and rather being engrossed in the human elements which further spotlights Pearson’s meticulous talent for weaving fact, fiction, and heart together astoundingly.

Heads up, I sobbed several times within Shrapnel Boys so it’s definitely a tearjerker. Whether those were happy, sad, angry or other tears, I will leave you to preorder and find out for yourself on 8th May! All I will say is this is a book you HAVE to read in 2025 and I will think of Ronnie, Lugs and Micky for a time to come. Shrapnel Boys is an instant classic perfect for all readers aged 8+ to enjoy…

In three words: WWII, brothers, crime

Jenny Pearson is already one of our favourite middle-grade authors. With titles such as The Incredible Record Smashers and The Boy Who Made Monsters, she has the incredible talent of being able to navigate challenging topics such as grief and depression with genuine warmth and humour. Her novella, Bertie and the Alien Chicken, for Barrington Stoke - a publisher well known for producing short, dylexia-friendly texts - remains one of the most extraordinary and insightful texts I've ever read.

Shrapnel Boys is equally extraordinary. Although different to Jenny Pearson's usual genre, this historical tale had me gripped right from the get-go and is perfect for fans of Lesley Parr and Phil Earle. The story centres around two brothers, Ronnie and Micky, who live in London and who are not evacuated at the start of WWII. With London crumbling around them, thanks to night after night of deadly air-raids, Ronnie finds himself fighting his own battle...for his beloved brother.

Plotted to perfection and superbly researched, this novel is not for the faint-hearted. With challenging themes of fascism, coercion, toxic relationships, crime and bullying, it's a text that might be best suited to shared reading that allows for discussion of such issues. Yet, although it is not a 'funny' story by any means, Jenny Pearson finds ways to inject her trademark lightness and humour. I especially loved Ronnie and Micky's next door neighbour, Vera Green, and the well-written Harry. As a result, this is novel I am bursting to share with my 9 year old son, precisely because it explores such crucially important issues as well as depicting the vivid reality of life in London during the war through a child's eyes. Before reading, I had no idea about the dangers of shrapnel and 'hard rain'.

To summarise, this is a book I will be recommending and talking about for a long time. There have been a wealth of WWII stories written of late but each are beautifully written and a rich resource for the classroom, as well as bookshelves in the library or at home. It has cemented my view that Jenny Pearson is an exceptionally talented and diverse writer. This is powerful stuff!

I've read a lot of WWII fiction, written for adults and children, and this is up there with some of the best. It follows two rival groups of boys living in Central London, who are all looking for something to fill the space in their lives caused by the war, whether it's dealing with the difficult decisions made by others, being evacuated or having absent parents. When someone comes along offering to fill that hole, it is hard for the children not to jump at the chance of feeling valued and rewarded, albeit for being exploited. The children are offered a sense of belonging, companionship and control at a time when everything is chaos and this book shows how easily children can be manipulated. This is so relevant for children today: the experiences of the children in this book are not unlike the descriptions we hear in the news of grooming, gangs and radicalisation and I think that this relevance makes this book additionally important for children and adults today, as well as just being a really good story.

There were a few typos and couple of things that will hopefully be picked up before final prints but these don't detract in any way from my rating of the book. On page 190, Lugs is referred to as Billy by the author. He has previously only been called Lugs, other than by adults in the book and I had to look back to remember who Billy is. The author then returned to calling him Lugs. On page 362, Ronnie is listing the characters in the book and names the Wreckers as Arthur, Billy and Harry, when it should be Arthur, Graham and Harry. Billy is referred to, as Lugs, a couple of lines later.

Over the year there have been many classic stories set in World War II ; Letters from the Lighthouse, Goodnight Mr Tom, Carrie's War, The Silver Sword and many more.

Now there is a new book that should be up among the classics - Shrapnel Boys.

Jenny Pearson has written a gripping, moving, sometime humorous and important story about life in World War II.

This is the story of Ronnie and Micky- two brothers living alone with mum at the outbreak of the war and unlike many children aren't evacuated, remain in London and are witness to the horrors that ensue.

But this is a story that also digs deeper than many books and explores the underbelly of the English and the Blackshirt brigade led by Oswald Mosley ( fascism in everyday society).

Without a father, the 'charismatic' Johnny appears on the scene and charms his way into the family but Ronnie senses that all is not what it seems - soon his brother is under the spell of the man and fears for his safety.

Against this backdrop, the two brothers and their friend Lugs form the Shrapnel Boys who compete against fellow school rivals The Wreckers to see who can find the most shrapnel.

But it is the battle to uncover Johnny's dark secrets, protect his mum and brother and support his friend Lugs who is from a jewish family that makes this novel such an outstanding read. Ronnie's conflicted emotions are palpable.

Fast paced, full of social awareness and sensitivity, the Shrapnel Boys is certainly a top read for 9-12 year old readers /upper key stage 2 classes for 2025 and would be an excellent class topic read.

In a world where divisions are ever more evident and extreme right groups still prevail, the Shrapnel Boys highlights that even in war the 'enemy' was closer than you thought.

A superb read- one that will be highly recommended to colleagues in schools and friends - and should be a future classic children's read !!