Jenny Pearson has a reputation for balancing hilarity with a thoughtful look at life. Shrapnel Boys, her first work of historical fiction, is a departure; however, it is rich in her understanding of children and how they interact with each other. Set in London in 1939 this compelling story is told by 12 year old Ronnie as he experiences the realities that war brings.

When war comes to London in 1939, Ronnie Smith is both scared and naively excited: scared of the bombs that fall at night, but excited to race his friends to collect the best bits of shrapnel in friendly competition every morning. But for Ronnie, it is not only the war that is making his life difficult; he is facing problems at school and at home too. His mum has a new friend, Johnny, who arrives with smooth talk and an over confident manner. Ronnie instinctively recognises that Johnny brings trouble with him. Unfortunately his little brother, Micky is in awe of the charismatic Johnny and is soon up to no good with a secret job and dangerous new friends. Ronnie’s worried he’s getting himself into big trouble and is desperate to help his little brother. But he isn’t expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the whole war.

The children in Jenny Pearson’s books do, I think, feel real and in Shrapnel Boys it is not long before the reader cares about these two brothers and their friends. The sibling banter, the easy friendship between a group of boys is familiar from this author’s previous books. The difference here is the danger that gradually builds and draws the reader in. There is drama, tension, fear and loss intertwined with the bravado and humour displayed by these young characters. This is a compelling read.

The research the author has done is apparent throughout the story line but for children reading this book it is the characters and the plot that will feature most in their enjoyment. However, this would be an excellent book to support teaching of this period and is well timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations. The author’s note at the end of the book provides some helpful historic detail and clarification regarding the inclusion of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts to support understanding of one of the themes within the plot. Shrapnel Boys poses some important questions about learning how to distinguish right from wrong and would be excellent for prompting discussion about family, friendship, loss and the true meaning of courage. The publisher has created some discussion notes and linked activities for teachers which can be downloaded on the website here.

Shrapnel Boys is published on 8th May by Usborne Books and I would like to thank the publisher and Fritha Lindqvist for providing my review copy.