When The Sky Falls

This feels like a terrible way to start my review, but up until a couple of weeks ago I have to confess that I hadn’t read any of the many published books by Phil Earle. After reading and loving The Dog Who Saved the World (Cup), I recognised the name when I was trawling through Net Galley to see what was available and instantly requested this to start to rectify that situation. I’ve said before here how little WWII interests me, but – having enjoyed several titles set during that conflict over the past year – was determined not to let my own dislikes stop me reading this in the hopes of gauging whether or not it would be a title my class would enjoy.

Having finished reading this a couple of days ago, shortly after discussing it briefly on Twitter with someone who had tagged me in to their review, I felt unable to sit down and immediately record my thoughts here – such was the effect it had on me – because this is an incredibly powerful book: one which I am certain children – and adult readers – will love as much as I did; one that will stay with them and one which is a worthy addition to anyone’s bookshelf.

Our story opens in a railway station full of evacuees waiting to be sent away – a scene familiar to many of us – but our protagonist Joseph is not leaving for the country to keep him safe, rather he has just arrived after being sent away from home by his grandmother to stay with a stranger – a woman who introduces herself as Mrs F, before taking him home with her on the bus.

On reaching their destination, a frosty Mrs F runs through the rules of the house – including the drill for any air raids – and packs Joseph off to bed without ceremony, telling him that he will be expected to work the next day. After an incident during the night, which does not encourage Mrs F to warm to him, they both get up the following morning barely speaking and after a tense breakfast set out to go to work. Joseph is taken aback when they reach what is clearly a zoo, especially when Mrs F reveals she does not simply work there but that it belongs to her. The war, however, has had a terrible impact on the zoo and it has few inhabitants – most of whom are in a sorry state – and after a brief look round Joseph is taken to see Adonis, a silverback gorilla who appears to take an instant dislike to him.

The ape is the least of his worries though because Joseph finds that Mrs F has enrolled him at the local school – one which has few pupils remaining on its roll, all of whom are in the care of headmaster Mr Gryce assisted by a cane which he has named Clarence. After getting on the wrong side of Mr Gryce as soon as he meets him, Joseph then finds himself almost immediately in trouble once he reaches the classroom when he reacts badly to a comment made by one of his classmates and his sympathetic teacher is unable to prevent him being punished. At the end of the school day, a deeply frustrated Joseph returns to the zoo together with Syd – a girl from school who also works there and who offers to help him with his school work, but Joseph lets her know in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t want or need her help.

As time goes by, Joseph spends more and more time at the zoo and he and Adonis gradually warm to one another. The boy finds himself starting to look forward to seeing the great ape but the threat of war is ever there and when the air raids get closer and closer to the zoo, a helpless Joseph finds himself faced with the terrible prospect of having to take terrible action if Adonis’s cage is breached by the enemy’s bombs…

Children such as Joseph, who have suffered terrible upsets in their short lives, are familiar to all of us who work in schools and are increasingly apparent in the pages of the books I share. That is not to say that this is a new thing in children’s literature – Matilda in the Roald Dahl classic is clearly an abused child – but what is new is the presentation of these children in a far more realistic way. Where Matilda is a stereotypically polite and well-behaved little girl, Joseph is anything but. He is rude and his default setting is anger – lashing out verbally and physically at those around him in response to many of the interactions he has, no matter whether they are negative or positive, in a desperate attempt to gain attention.

When he arrives at Mrs F’s, he is aware that this is his last chance but neither of them warms to the other straight away. She is keen to do the right thing by him, but does not know how to go about it and he is not prepared to meet her halfway. In fact, on arriving, he seems determined to try to upset her as much as he can in the hopes of provoking a response from her. We so often see this pattern of behaviour in schools and it lends the story an incredibly strong ring of truth – one which had me hooked in from the very start of the story. This intense sense of realism will also make this title a very powerful class reader for teachers who not only want a book to tie in with a WWII topic, but want one which will have their charges on the edges of their seats; additionally it will also trigger some very useful PSHE discussions.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is one that I would suggest is probably not suitable as a Year 4 class reader, but certainly more mature readers of that age and upper KS2 children will love this story, as will any adult sharing it with them.

An enormous thank you to both Net Galley and Andersen Press for allowing me to read this in advance of publication on June 3rd. A magnificent 5 out of stars.

Joseph has a lot of anger bubbling to the surface due to his relationships with the adults that have all come and gone in his life. Being forced to move to stay with a complete stranger who is reluctant to have him isn’t going to make him settle any time soon. It’s hard work helping Mrs F in her dilapidated zoo, and he just wishes he can go home and be with his Dad. But it’s 1940 and the war has other ideas. The bombs are constantly dropping and sooner or later, they are going to breach the enclosures and Adonis will need to be dealt with for the safety of everyone. But while they both clearly hated one another, a trust is slowly building between the resentful boy and the powerful ape. This fragile bond can’t be broken, can it?

This story had engaging characters that shine through the harsh life of wartime. The elements of the true story of the protection/ threat of a wild animal from the zoo added extra depth and made this tale unique. I liked the gruff Mrs F and warmed to her even more as her past was revealed. Friendships and trust are the heart of this delightful novel that shows not only a snapshot of history but asks the reader how far would you go to protect life.

The striking cover design is extremely well done and this actually first drew my attention to this book.

Phil Earle has created something truly special in this piece of historical fiction. When The Sky Falls is a profoundly moving book: it’s raw and intense, it’s gritty and dark yet, at its heart, it’s a tale of hope.

In the midst of World War Two, Joseph - a troubled and difficult child - is sent to live with an equally abrupt and unfriendly stranger. Mrs F owns a rundown zoo where Joseph meets silverback gorilla, Adonis. Like everyone else in his life, Adonis takes an instant dislike to the boy leaving him feeling even more rejected and alone. What follows next is a story of unlikely friendship and impossible decisions.

This story of love and loss, of friendship and compassion, has the feel of a modern classic. It’s action-packed, exciting and unpredictable. The backdrop of the city being bombed intertwines perfectly with the war of emotions battling inside the protagonist - it’s pathetic fallacy at its finest. The whole book feels like a master class in writing and is a truly exceptional piece of literature.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - I very much look forward to adding this book to my classroom bookshelf.

This is a beautifully crafted story set during the Blitz. It is a story of courage and friendship.
Joseph is sent by his grandma to live with Mrs F in London. He is angry with the world after his Mum leaving and Dad going to fight and throws himself into the 'bad boy' persona, not wanting to let anyone in.
Mrs F owns the zoo and Joseph meets Adonis, the lone silverback gorilla.
This is an incredible story of opening up and building relationships. I liked the additional characters and how the relationships gradually developed.
I finished this book through tears and would highly recommend. This left a real impression on me.

It’s 1940 and the war is raging across Europe, and closer to home, in Joseph’s heart. He is angry. Joseph feels let down by the adults who are supposed to care for him, feeling abandoned by them all. This is mainly because they had not taken the time to talk to him to explain why they had to leave or why he was being evacuated from his home rather than through lack of love, but Joseph had thought the worst. So when he arrives in a new place, sent to stay with a women he had never met and who is abrupt, unfriendly and holding secrets close to her own heart, Joseph is angry at the whole world.
He doesn’t listen to instructions, always trying to do the opposite to exert an authority of his own to retain some sense of control. This includes teasing Adonis, a mighty Silverback Gorilla, at the zoo run by Mrs F. Things don’t get any better when he starts school as the school bullies sense they have to show the new boy their power, then are shocked at Joseph’s temper outburst, the outcome of which is worse for Joseph.
He is offered help by Mrs F, by his class teacher and by Syd, a girl his own age who helps at the zoo. However he rejects all this, never let slip the high walls he has built up around himself for protection.
But Adonis also needs protection and when faced with bombs and bullets, will there be any winners?
This is more than a war story of an evacuee, but an intense relationship of inner conflict and trust. Joseph struggles with reading too, and to readers of today, it is obvious what his problem is, but in the 1940s this wasn’t recognised and the blame was laid squarely on laziness and stupidity. The ending is fast, furious and shocking but we are also left with hope because of love.

This book...where do I start?!

Myself and my (non-book-loving) eight year old son read this one together at bedtime and it was a story that we were both desperate to get back to each night. Everything about this book was so well crafted - the wartime setting artfully depicted, the characters and the motivation for their actions felt real and authentic and reading it was a really immersive experience. Both me and my eight year old found ourselves commenting on the beauty of some of the language and re-reading bits that we felt especially moved by. I was a total mess by the end! I feel so grateful to have read this book and to have been able to share it with my son - Joseph's behaviour and turbulent emotional life gave us a way in to talk about my son's own behaviour and anger and frustration.....in fact he hasn't been violent since we finished reading it a month ago.

I will be telling EVERYONE about this and I sincerely hope it gets the recognition it deserves on awards prize shortlists. It's a really phenomenal book.

Raw, powerful & emotional, Phil Earle's unique story of Joseph's anger, hurt & dyslexia during WW2. Plucky characters with so much to teach us, perfect UKS2 read with so many relatable classroom moments. Punchy & pacy, with a hard-hitting ending which lingered... #SequelPlease

This book is fierce! A thrillingly powerful story that sings of the power of connection and compassion. It is devastatingly raw, yet impossible to put down. The historical setting combined with real characters showing all their flaws and traumas makes this a truly moving and immersive read.

This was simply incredible. The best children’s book I’ve read since The Skylark’s War. It sparked with emotion from start to finish and I never wanted it to end. I would recommend this book to children and adults everywhere.

An absolutely amazing emotional read. I love how Joseph is so representative of young people who struggle at school. Love the raw emotions that he displays and he begins to thaw and develop a relationship with Mrs F, Syd and Adonis. An incredibly heartbreaking ending but there is a beacon of light for the future for Joseph and Mrs F!

Emotional & intelligent historical fiction set in London during the Blitz. This is a simple, powerful story told very well in clear yet evocative language. Fans of Emma Carroll, Lesley Parr & Michael Morpurgo will love this book.

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew that I would enjoy it. The story is not the common evacuee story, in that the main character is sent to the South whilst his dad is away fighting. The prickly relationship that develops is heartwarming as the characters are united in grief and their determination to save the silverback. This is a story of the harsh reality of war, and as it is based on true events, it’s even more hard hitting. It was a tough read but an incredibly compelling one. Fantastic.