This is a powerful story about the tragic impact of the First World War on both the soldiers who fought and the families that they left behind.
The war is over and the whole town is celebrating as the soldiers march past. They are home at last. Sixteen year old Tony watches the parade but does not join in the celebrations. His brother, Charlie, is not coming home. Tony’s mother has refused to accept that her older son has died and sits at home watching and waiting for him to walk through the door. She has lost a grip on reality and although physically there the mother he knows is gone, temporarily or possibly for good. Tony is grieving both for the loss of his brother and his mother. There is worse still for him to bear as his brother died in circumstances he finds difficult to believe. As Tony leaves the town after the parade his former teacher hands him a white feather, the symbol of cowardice. The feather was for his beloved and admired brother, Charlie.
This is a moving and at times shocking story of a young man’s attempts to clear his brother’s name. Tony is so distraught at the accusation against Charlie that he is prepared to go to extreme lengths to prove that his brother was not a traitor. As his quest continues and he gets ever closer to solving the mystery surrounding his brother’s death it becomes apparent that even those who Tony considers his enemy may be suffering from the horrors of this war too.
Mother and son duo Catherine and David MacPhail have created a book that will make young readers pause and think about aspects of World War One not always covered in children’s books and this would prompt much discussion in the classroom. Although as a reader we have great sympathy for Tony’s distress it is clear by the end of the story that everyone, in different ways, has been altered by the trauma of war. Although we never meet Charlie his voice is a strong one and in some ways speaks for the many other young men who lost their lives. Several different themes are touched upon in this short but gripping book including, grief, shell shock, trauma and loyalty. I think that this book would be a valuable addition to school library or classroom shelves.
Thank you to the publishers, Barrington Stoke, for providing me with this review copy. As with all their titles White Feather is presented in a super readable style making it especially suitable for dyslexic, less confident or reluctant readers of about 9+ The book cover artwork and vignettes are by Mary Kate McDevitt
If you would like a taste of the story the first chapter is available here.
If you are looking for more titles linked to World War 1 I can highly recommend Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer also published by Barrington Stoke. Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey have created a wonderful series of picture books for children of all ages. These include Peace Lily told from the viewpoint of a young nurse and The Christmas Truce a poignant retelling of the famous events of Christmas 1914.
Madeline Finn does NOT like to read. But she DOES want a gold star from her teacher. But, stars are for good readers. Stars are for understanding words, and for saying them out loud. 
When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend, Mouse, to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear’s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear?
When we are fast asleep in bed, the Midnight Library opens its doors to all the night-time animals. Inside the library the little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every animal to find the perfect book. But with a noisy squirrel band, an upset wolf and a slow-reading tortoise to help, they could all be in for a very busy night.
Rapunzel sits on the sixteenth floor of an inner city block, bored, dreaming and looking out at the rain. No one can rouse her from her apathy, not the milkman or the postman or the baker or her aunt – or even the prince. But when at last a letter is delivered, it contains news that has Rapunzel on her feet again. She has a new job at the library! And suddenly her life is busy, sparkling, exciting and stimulating.
Some rabbits dream about lettuces and carrots, others dream of flowering meadows and juicy dandelions, but Ralfy dreams only of books. In fact, he doesn’t just dream about them, he wants to read them ALL THE TIME. Soon his obsession sends him spiralling into a life of crime!
Christopher Edge, award winning children’s author and former teacher made this remark during his keynote speech in the afternoon and this was, I felt, the key to the whole day and the reason we were all there. He expanded on this by sharing a quote from The Lost Childhood by Graham Greene and shown on the slide here. He went on to say that books open doors to other worlds for children and by opening many doors we help children’s understanding, provide them with a refuge and perhaps the possibility that they will in turn create a better world. This importance highlights the need for access to a wide range of books for all children through libraries and schools. It was fascinating to hear how Christopher was influenced by Neil Gaiman’s work as a child, sneaking off school to get a book signed by the famous author at a local bookshop. Discovering that authors were in fact ”real people” inspired him to go on to become an author himself. One very good reason to encourage author visits to schools for as Christopher himself said ”Scratch every writer and you find a reader.”
Nicola Davies says that when she writes books such as Lots (illustrated by Emily Sutton) she wants children to say when they reach the end, ”Wow! I want to know more about that.” Although some may say that war is not a suitable topic for young children she maintains that children are exposed to difficult subjects via the media on a daily basis and therefore it is our duty to talk about the world with all its beauties and horrors with them. In her stunning book, The Day War Came (illustrated by Rebecca Cobb) war and its impact on refugees is dealt with in an extremely moving yet age appropriate fashion. During the Q & A Panel in the afternoon Jane Considine mentioned this subject again, remarking that it is our moral duty to ensure that children learn about lives and worlds different to their own.
