The Valley of Lost Secrets is perfect for fans of Nina Bawden's Carrie's War, Michelle Magorian's Good Night, Mr. Kindle rewards credit | Lovely and touching, if maybe a bit painful for the particularly sensitive young reader| Feels true in both the best ways and in how it presents the unkindness that will rear up in every community.

The Valley of Lost Secrets | Peoples Book Prize The Valley of Lost Secrets | Peoples Book Prize

First, I love a story set in South Wales, and second, I love a good evacuee story and this is certainly that. The man is tall and has a thick overcoat buttoned over his large stomach, and he’s got the biggest moustache I’ve ever seen. I love reading books in this era, as they have the potential to feel so heartwarming and immersive and this was definitely one of those books. And Jimmy is an interesting character, unhappy about leaving his dad and Nan, resistant to letting himself settle in too comfortably with the Thomases, and very affectionate and protective of his younger brother.Parr’s writing style suits the story well, from the description of the streets, to the Welsh language endearments or colloquialisms that pepper the text (don’t worry, you understand them from the context if you’re not a Welsh speaker). It is with that deep-seeded sadness that Jimmy sees the pain of others and realizes that the special bond he shares with his own brother cannot be taken for granted - no matter what. Jimmy and Ronnie were both such lovely characters and I loved seeing them settling in to the Welsh village where they have been evacuated to. One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book, and I’ve noticed happening more in older children’s books, is fleshed out adult characters.

The Valley of Lost Secrets - Bloomsbury Publishing

And yes, Florence - with a right hook like hers and a mouth just as relentless and fearless, I loved her fighting spirit and drive to be different than the harsh cruel life she left behind. There are a few obstacles for the main character to overcome, his own bitterness at being separated from his family, the prejudice of some locals towards evacuees and bullying among the other children. It follows their journey to reflect on home, make new friends, uncover historical truths and comes with some strong moral messages. Although this annoys Jimmy at first, given his own level of discomfort, they form an unlikely friendship that help gives him a sense of perspective.

This middle-grade historical fiction is about three children evacuated from London to Wales during WW2. Evacuees are a rich source for children’s adventure stories, examples include Michelle Magorian’s classic Goodnight Mister Tom, and Jacqueline Wilson’s more recent Wave Me Goodbye. Jimmy can’t wait to go home – but when he finds a mysterious skull in a tree, he and his brother are compelled to unravel its story. My dad was raised chapel like the Thomases and Hughes families, and I'm not sure American readers will understand the difference between church and chapel that is talked about but that is a small part of the story and probably won't cause any lost of interest in Jimmy's story. Jimmy and his younger brother arrive in a mining town in Wale and are taken in by a childless couple, who originally only wanted to take in one boy.

The Valley Of Lost Secrets - Laburnum House Educational The Valley Of Lost Secrets - Laburnum House Educational

The woman nods and points at Lillian Baker, who almost does a curtsy before moving along the stage and down the steps. I can only imagine how hard it would have been for some evacuees to acclimatise to such a change - it was represented very well in the writing. This novel made me think of an old favourite of mine, Carrie's War and I enjoyed this tale just as much. The way Jimmy treats Ronnie is both caring and frustrating; he is very protective of his younger brother, but he also doesn’t like the way Ronnie seems to immediately adapt to the change, and this means he sometimes lashes out.But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Duff and his sister go next with a woman whose nose is so far in the air I’m surprised she can see where she’s going. The kindness and warmth from the majority of adults welcoming these children into their homes is the key to the optimism that is this book.

The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr | Goodreads

Similarly, I loved how the Thomases slowly earned Jimmy’s trust and gave Ronnie all the attention he needed! Set during the Second World War, it tells the story of twelve year old Jimmy Travers and his younger brother Ronnie, who have been evacuated from London to the relative safety of Llanbryn, a village in Wales. Jimmy was such a real and believable protagonist - his honesty, his determination, his protectiveness for Ronnie, an his developing feelings of friendship for Florence, just flowed so naturally. Beautifully written, this story of two brothers from London struggling with homesickness and the mysteries of their new surroundings is one of the best books I've read this year. Hanging around with the Vicar's son Jack and three other boys, the five of them go around bullying other kids.I was drawn to the book because I had studied World War Two at school and loved reading the wartime classic with my class: “Goodnight Mister Tom” by Michelle Magorian. When the spoilt and bad-tempered Mary is orphaned at the age of ten, she is sent from India to live with her hunchback uncle on the Yorkshire Moors. Each new chapter is illustrated with the tree hiding the skull – but eagle-eyed readers might notice that the tree begins to share clues of its own as the story goes on. Some of the villagers are mistrustful of the evacuees, and when money goes missing, they are quick to blame the newcomers.