Books with author Derek Jacobi Michael Morpurgo

A spellbinding animal story from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo.Bullied at school, nagged in Aunty May's tenth-floor council flat, there's only one place ten-year-old Billy really feels alive - in the wilderness by the canal. There he watches a cygnet on the water and protects a family of fox cubs. Then his secret place is discovered and the fox family decimated. Unwanted and unloved, Billy and the last fox run for their lives . . .A gripping and poignant animal adventure from the master storyteller of An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon, Shadow, and An Elephant in the Garden. ------ Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo needs no introduction. He is one of the most successful children's authors in the country, loved by children, teachers and parents alike. Michael has written more than forty books for children including the global hit War Horse, which was made into a Hollywood film by Steven Spielberg in 2011.Several of his other stories have been adapted for screen and stage, including My Friend Walter, Why the Whales Came and Kensuke's Kingdom. Michael has won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children's Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.He started the charity Farms for City Children in 1976 with his wife, Clare, aimed at relieving the “poverty of experience” many young children feel in inner city and urban areas. Michael is also a patron of over a dozen other charities. Living in Devon, listening to Mozart and working with children have provided Michael with the ideas and incentive to write his stories. He spends half his life mucking out sheds with the children, feeding sheep or milking cows; the other half he spends dreaming up and writing stories for children. "For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out - the writing down of it I always find hard. But I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers." Michael received an OBE in December 2006 for his services to literature.

Kensuke’s Kingdom is a true children’s classic by former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo, the creator of War Horse.I heard the wind above me in the sails. I remember thinking, this is silly, you haven’t got your safety harness on, you haven’t got your lifejacket on. You shouldn’t be doing this . . . I was in the cold of the sea before I could even open my mouth to scream.Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone . . .From the author of War Horse, Private Peaceful, An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon, and I Believe in Unicorns comes a stunning children’s story – loved by kids, teachers and parents alike. Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times. Reviewed as ‘A dazzling adventure’ by The Times.

Eloise has always loved Joan of Arc. Noble, honest and brave, she was everything Eloise wishes to be. And on a bright sunny day in Orleans, Eloise has a very special daydream…A superb re-imagining of Joan of Arc by master storyteller and author of War Horse.“There was only one creature on this earth who really knew Joan. He was a sparrow, just an ordinary sparrow…He was her best friend on this earth, maybe her only friend, too.”A young girl faces an impossible task – to save her beloved France from tyrants. To free her country, Joan will lose everyone she has ever loved. But she listens to her heart and believes in her calling.Through patience, perseverance and unbreakable spirit, Joan of Arc leads armies to victory and finds the strength to face the cruellest of destinies.

A thrilling and moving novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion…It’s 1945. Elizabeth's father is fighting with the German army on the eastern front. Her mother works at Dresden zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene. When the zoo director tells her the dangerous animals must be shot to prevent them running amok if the town is bombed, Elizabeth's mother moves Marlene into the back garden to save her… and then the bombs start to fall.Their home destroyed, Elizabeth and her family must flee the bombed-out city and through the wintery landscape, all the while avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough, without an elephant in tow…

A stunning edition of this modern classic of World War One, featuring an introduction by the author and insightful testimonies from soldiers.Told in the voice of Private Tommo Peaceful, the story follows twenty-four hours at the front, and captures his memories of his family and his village life – by no means as tranquil as it appeared.Full of vivid detail and engrossing atmosphere, leading to a dramatic and moving conclusion, Private Peaceful is both a compelling love story and a deeply moving account of the First World War.Extra material:- Introduction by Michael Morpurgo- Inspiration letter by Michael Morpurgo- Background on the execution of British soldiers in WW1 for cowardice, including personal testimony from soldiers

Enemies meet. A life is spared. But is mercy always moral?An extraordinary middle-grade novel about a the young man who met a young Adolf Hitler and could have stopped WWII, from the author of War Horse.England, 1940. Barney’s home has been destroyed by bombing, and he and his mother are traveling to the countryside with all their worldy belongings in one suitcase. When German planes attack, their train is forced to take shelter in a tunnel and there, in the darkness, a fellow passenger―a stranger―begins to tell them a story about two young soldiers who came face to face in the previous war. One British, one German. Both lived, but the British soldier was haunted by the encounter once he realized whose life he had spared: the young Adolf Hitler. The British soldier made a moral decision. Was it the right one? Readers can ponder that difficult question for themselves with Michael Morpurgo's latest middle-grade novel An Eagle in the Snow. Praise for An Eagle in the Snow:"What if a British soldier had a chance to shoot Hitler on a WWI battlefield but opted to let him go instead? . . . The stranger’s descriptions of Billy’s compassion and emotional turmoil are gripping in their own right, but Morpurgo will catch some readers off guard with supernaturally tinged twists he drops in the final chapters and epilogue. Originally published in the U.K. in 2015, this is an intricately crafted contemplation of the wrenching consequences of good intentions gone awry." ―Publishers Weekly"World War II has ravaged England, including the homes on Mulberry Road. Ten-year-old Barney and his mother are headed out to the country to Aunty Mavis’s home with all they have left in the world inside their luggage. A stranger boards the train and takes the seat across from them. After some small talk, the train begins to trudge forward, and they settle in for the ride. Suddenly, a German fighter plane surges from the sky and attacks the train. With the rat-a-tat of bullets pelting the train, the conductor races down the track toward a tunnel. As he slams on the brakes, everyone is plunged into total darkness. ... To pass the time, the stranger tells the story of two young soldiers from the previous war. The British soldier was the most decorated private of the First World War. The German soldier just might have been Hitler himself. This work of historical fiction, divided into four parts, will leave middle grade readers on the edge of their seats as they try to determine who the stranger is and how this random encounter during World War I could have altered history. Another gripping historical novel from the author of War Horse." ―School Library Journal"Morpurgo’s gentle WWII tale is loosely based on a real British soldier who may or may not have spared Adolf Hitler’s life during WWI. ...The casual tone of the story the stranger tells is in compellingly sharp contrast to the powerful questions it raises about duty and honor. A couple of light twists at the end are not entirely unexpected. Morpurgo concludes the book with information about Henry Tandey, the real Billy Byron." ―BooklistPraise for Listen to the Moon: “A poignant and life-affirming story from a master.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review“Morpurgo offers powerful descriptions of shipwreck, mass drowning, and devastation, as well as healing and growth.” ―Publishers Weekly“Superbly written. . . . This is one of Morpurgo's best works to date; a first purchase for middle grade and teen collections.” ―School Library Journal

Six best-loved novels by award-winning author of ‘War Horse’, brought together in this ebook collection.A perfect introduction to Michael Morpurgo’s enthralling storytelling for new readers and a classic collection for fans.‘Kaspar’:Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket – Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bellboy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky's things to her room, including this very special cat!‘Born to Run’:When Patrick saves a litter of greyhound puppies from the canal, he convinces his parents to let him keep one. Patrick names his puppy Best Mate, and that’s what he becomes…Until one day Best Mate is kidnapped by a greyhound trainer. The trainer’s step-daughter loves the greyhound and renames him Bright Eyes. But what will happen when he can’t run any more?‘The Butterfly Lion’:When Bertie is a little boy, he rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus.Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfly lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten.‘Alone on a wide, wide sea’:When six-year-old orphan Arthur Hobhouse was shipped to Australia after WWII he lost his sister, his country and everything he knew.Now he has built a special boat for his daughter Allie – a yacht designed to carry her to England, in search of his long-lost sister…‘Running Wild’:For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn't just a holiday. It's an escape, a new start, a chance to put things behind them.Until Oona, the elephant Will is riding on the beach, begins acting strangely, shying away from the sea. That's when the tsunami comes crashing in, and Oona begins to run.But when the tsunami is gone, Oona just keeps on running.‘Farm Boy’:The fascinating sequel to ‘War Horse’. Set on a farm in rural Devon, this is the story of Grandpa’s memories. Family secrets come to light as Michael’s wonderful writing depicts the moving relationship between grandfather and grandson.

Discover the beautiful stories of Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse and the nation’s favourite storytellerJoy and heartbreak combine in this bittersweet tale of a champion greyhound’s journey through life – and from owner to owner…“The sack wasn't just drifting gently along like everything else, it was turning of its own accord. There was definitely something inside it, struggling against the side of the plastic bag, kicking at it, squeaking and squealing in terror. He had no idea what it might be, only that it was alive and in danger of drowning.”When Patrick saves a litter of greyhound puppies from the canal, he can’t bear to hand them all over to the RSPCA. He pleads with his parents: couldn’t he just keep one of them? But nothing will convince them and Patrick cries himself to sleep – only to be woken by a greyhound puppy licking his face!Patrick christens his puppy Best Mate, and that’s what he becomes. Patrick’s favourite thing is to watch Best Mate running at full stretch on the heath, a speeding bullet, a cheetah-dog. Until one day Best Mate is kidnapped by a greyhound trainer, and begins a new life as a champion race dog. Suzie, the greyhound trainer’s step-daughter, loves Best Mate on first sight and gives him a new name, Bright Eyes. But what will happen when he can’t run any more?Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.

A collection of six magical and heart-warming animal stories, specially for World Book Day, by the nation’s favourite storyteller.From the author who brought you Joey the War Horse, Shadow the dog and Kaspar the cat comes a pocket-sized collection of perfect animal stories – proving that it’s not just dogs that are man’s best friends…Taken from the length of Michael Morpurgo’s career, the tales in this charming book will delight any child who loves animals … or stories! Readers will return to the best mates in this little book again and again.From dogs to cats, and from horses to dolphins and whales, it’s all here in this timeless treasury.Contains the stories:• The Silver Swan• It’s a Dog’s Life• Snug• Didn’t We Have a Lovely Time?• Dolphin Boy• This Morning I Met a Whale