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War is Over
From the bestselling, award-winning author of SKELLIG comes a vivid and moving story, beautifully illustrated, which commemorates the hundred-year anniversary of the end of the First World War. "I am just a child," says John. "How can I be at war?" It's 1918, and war is everywhere. John's dad is fighting in the trenches far away in France. His mum works in the munitions factory just along the road. His teacher says that John is fighting, too, that he is at war with enemy children in Germany. One day, in the wild woods outside town, John has an impossible a meeting with a German boy named Jan. John catches a glimpse of a better world, in which children like Jan and himself can come together, and scatter the seeds of peace. Gorgeously illustrated by David Litchfield, this is a book to treasure.
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2018
9 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
David Almond
121 books823 followersDavid Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction before finding his niche writing literature for young adults.
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
February 12, 2020
David Almond’s illustrated novella for children focuses on John, who lives in the north of England during the time of the Great War. As the book opens, the conflict has been dragging on for so long that the schoolboy can barely recall his soldier-father’s face. John’s mother works in the town’s ever-expanding munitions plant, a twentieth-century Blakeian “dark satanic mill”. Now over a mile long, the factory is a dangerous place, where explosions aren’t uncommon and women workers risk serious injury and even death. Each day John asks his mam when it will all be over. He even writes to the king and the Archbishop of Canterbury. No answers come to assuage his fears for his parents. Some say the war will go on forever, that the boys will follow their fathers to the front and the girls their mothers to the munitions plant.
Almond contrasts the oppressive shadow of war with the beauty and fragility of the natural world. For example, just before the school trip to the factory, aimed at educating students about the essential war work of their mothers, John asks his mam about her duties there. Likening the shells she fills on the job to the rose hips she gathers for making tea, she diagrams a casing with its top off. Unlike a rose hip with “seeds of life” within, she explains, the casing of an artillery projectile is filled with the stuff of death: sharp shrapnel in resin. Yes, the Germans have these shells, too, she answers her son, but his father’s steel helmet should protect him.
The book’s central event is the students’ outing to the factory, where they will see blue-uniformed women who are indistinguishable from each other, “diminished by the vastness of the machines” that rattle, thud, squeal, and scream, making it seem “as if a great war was being played out” in the town as well. The students’ head teacher, the militaristic Mr. Mackenzie, a fervent supporter of the war effort, has regularly reminded them that they’re all engaged in the conflict, something that baffles his charges. “How can children be at war?” asks Dorothy, a girl in John’s class. Events on the day of the school trip will make this question loom even larger for John.
To get to the factory, their teacher leads the students on a march, two-by-two, through the streets. On their way, they encounter a conscientious objector: an old man, Dorothy’s uncle Gordon, standing on a box in the town square, a delicate apple tree nearby. He holds up etchings of the faces of boys and girls and declares that these young Germans are children just like John and his classmates, with fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. Don’t believe what they tell you, Uncle Gordon calls out; children cannot be at war. “There are no monsters! [. . .] There are only lies! There is no need for war.”
As this “traitor”, “blasphemer”, “coward”, and “conchie scum” of a man is beaten and chased away into the woods by the local police, he drops his pictures. Many students reach for one. In a “traitorous” act, John tucks the etching of Jan, a young boy from Dusseldorf, into his pocket. Seeing the image of a young enemy, a boy so very like himself, has a profound effect on John. He will dream about Jan, believe that he sees him in the place where the children play war games at the edge of the woods, and even write a letter to him. For the latter act, he’ll be warned and threatened by the local police for being treasonous.
In time, this war will end, John’s father will be reintroduced to him, and the town will celebrate. John will begin to feel happy, maybe as happy as he’d been when he was very small, but he can’t be sure: he does not remember that boy or that time. The war erased them. What he does know is that one day he will try to find his German friend.
Almond’s is a rich and beautifully written anti-war book. The book may focus on one war, but its title, War is Over—which notably lacks the beginning definite article The—communicates the message that war is something that humans must move on from. It must end. The novella explores the fears and confusion that some children experience during times of conflict. It also shows the tendency of more forceful, aggressive children to act out in play and games the ideological messages they’ve received from their elders. This is not a strictly realistic narrative: it shifts more than once into the world of dreams. Plot and characterization are not strong points. For this reason, I feel that Almond’s book is best presented to children as a read-aloud by a parent or a teacher. It is a sophisticated work that many kids might not respond to unless provided with opportunities for lots of discussion.
Rating: 3.5
Almond contrasts the oppressive shadow of war with the beauty and fragility of the natural world. For example, just before the school trip to the factory, aimed at educating students about the essential war work of their mothers, John asks his mam about her duties there. Likening the shells she fills on the job to the rose hips she gathers for making tea, she diagrams a casing with its top off. Unlike a rose hip with “seeds of life” within, she explains, the casing of an artillery projectile is filled with the stuff of death: sharp shrapnel in resin. Yes, the Germans have these shells, too, she answers her son, but his father’s steel helmet should protect him.
The book’s central event is the students’ outing to the factory, where they will see blue-uniformed women who are indistinguishable from each other, “diminished by the vastness of the machines” that rattle, thud, squeal, and scream, making it seem “as if a great war was being played out” in the town as well. The students’ head teacher, the militaristic Mr. Mackenzie, a fervent supporter of the war effort, has regularly reminded them that they’re all engaged in the conflict, something that baffles his charges. “How can children be at war?” asks Dorothy, a girl in John’s class. Events on the day of the school trip will make this question loom even larger for John.
To get to the factory, their teacher leads the students on a march, two-by-two, through the streets. On their way, they encounter a conscientious objector: an old man, Dorothy’s uncle Gordon, standing on a box in the town square, a delicate apple tree nearby. He holds up etchings of the faces of boys and girls and declares that these young Germans are children just like John and his classmates, with fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. Don’t believe what they tell you, Uncle Gordon calls out; children cannot be at war. “There are no monsters! [. . .] There are only lies! There is no need for war.”
As this “traitor”, “blasphemer”, “coward”, and “conchie scum” of a man is beaten and chased away into the woods by the local police, he drops his pictures. Many students reach for one. In a “traitorous” act, John tucks the etching of Jan, a young boy from Dusseldorf, into his pocket. Seeing the image of a young enemy, a boy so very like himself, has a profound effect on John. He will dream about Jan, believe that he sees him in the place where the children play war games at the edge of the woods, and even write a letter to him. For the latter act, he’ll be warned and threatened by the local police for being treasonous.
In time, this war will end, John’s father will be reintroduced to him, and the town will celebrate. John will begin to feel happy, maybe as happy as he’d been when he was very small, but he can’t be sure: he does not remember that boy or that time. The war erased them. What he does know is that one day he will try to find his German friend.
Almond’s is a rich and beautifully written anti-war book. The book may focus on one war, but its title, War is Over—which notably lacks the beginning definite article The—communicates the message that war is something that humans must move on from. It must end. The novella explores the fears and confusion that some children experience during times of conflict. It also shows the tendency of more forceful, aggressive children to act out in play and games the ideological messages they’ve received from their elders. This is not a strictly realistic narrative: it shifts more than once into the world of dreams. Plot and characterization are not strong points. For this reason, I feel that Almond’s book is best presented to children as a read-aloud by a parent or a teacher. It is a sophisticated work that many kids might not respond to unless provided with opportunities for lots of discussion.
Rating: 3.5
June 26, 2020
A touching story about a boy who struggles to understand why we have wars. He dreams he can be friends with German boys his age, and with his father coming back from the trenches in France.
The suffering of kids during wars is well shown, the language is clear, and the illustrations (in almost every page) are beautiful. However I found it a little too somber, and the fact that it is told as a long story (no chapter divisions) makes it hefty.
I received this copy in an Early Reviewers Giveaway in LibraryThing in exchange of an honest review.
The suffering of kids during wars is well shown, the language is clear, and the illustrations (in almost every page) are beautiful. However I found it a little too somber, and the fact that it is told as a long story (no chapter divisions) makes it hefty.
I received this copy in an Early Reviewers Giveaway in LibraryThing in exchange of an honest review.
September 27, 2023
«داروتی از احوالش جویا شد و او گفت که خوب است.
گفت: تا جایی که این روزها هرکسی میتونه خوب باشه.
بعد آرام خندید.»
گفت: تا جایی که این روزها هرکسی میتونه خوب باشه.
بعد آرام خندید.»
December 27, 2022
Uma história breve mas intensa sobre a Guerra vista por uma criança. O pai de John luta contra o inimigo nos campos da Flandres, a mãe trabalha numa fábrica a produzir bombas e a vida continua mesmo em tempos de guerra.
Até um dia em que John percebe que não temos de estar todos em guerra, e sobretudo as crianças, que podem ser as construtoras de um mundo em harmonia e paz.
Até um dia em que John percebe que não temos de estar todos em guerra, e sobretudo as crianças, que podem ser as construtoras de um mundo em harmonia e paz.
January 5, 2019
This illustrated short story was written in order to commemorate the hundred-year anniversary of the end of the First World War and it does so with great brevity. Almond's works often ask you to step back and consider the morality within. For me, Almond wants to celebrate 'endings'. Not just those at the end of the first world war but an ending to many ideological and entrenched visions that we may have about war in all times.
Children re-enacting scenes of war (I remember doing this in the playground myself), glorifying bombing the enemy, the indoctrination that the next generation must prepare for war, an end to our concept of 'others' and 'otherness' are also considered as well as compassion and its strength.
John's father is away at war and his mother in building bombs in the munitions factory and yet something about the whole thing, about 'John himself' being at war unsettles him. He feels ill at the thought of fighting someone, a people he does not know and finds comfort and connection in a photo he is handed of a German boy and a conscientious objector and outcast, Uncle Gordon.
This is such an important book for our time and one which asks the sensitive reader to consider our place in the world at the moment. Almond does not glorify war here our sense of humanity. Litchfield's illustrations are wonderful too.
Children re-enacting scenes of war (I remember doing this in the playground myself), glorifying bombing the enemy, the indoctrination that the next generation must prepare for war, an end to our concept of 'others' and 'otherness' are also considered as well as compassion and its strength.
John's father is away at war and his mother in building bombs in the munitions factory and yet something about the whole thing, about 'John himself' being at war unsettles him. He feels ill at the thought of fighting someone, a people he does not know and finds comfort and connection in a photo he is handed of a German boy and a conscientious objector and outcast, Uncle Gordon.
This is such an important book for our time and one which asks the sensitive reader to consider our place in the world at the moment. Almond does not glorify war here our sense of humanity. Litchfield's illustrations are wonderful too.
January 16, 2020
It's 1918, and war is raging.
John's father is fighting in the war and John's mother is working in a munitions factory at home in England. John is confused. He is just a child. His teacher tells him that we are at war. But he is just a child. Is he at war?
In what feels like a dream, John meets a German boy, Jan, and a feeling of hope comes over John, a feeling of hope for a better world someday.
Sometimes it's children's books that tell things best.
John's father is fighting in the war and John's mother is working in a munitions factory at home in England. John is confused. He is just a child. His teacher tells him that we are at war. But he is just a child. Is he at war?
In what feels like a dream, John meets a German boy, Jan, and a feeling of hope comes over John, a feeling of hope for a better world someday.
Sometimes it's children's books that tell things best.
July 26, 2020
There is never a time that this book wouldn't be relevant...and yet that's not exactly reassuring. It speaks to readers about war and how impossible it seems to be at ends with an entire people. How can the acts of one condemn them all? How can someone that looks just like you or me, be the enemy? How can we create things that cause utter destruction to end wars and not think of the consequences of using that force? It will raise a lot of questions, and answer several of them too, but it also passes on a message of peace, a message to look for the other solutions before turning to such a final act.
**ARC received for review; opinions are my own
**ARC received for review; opinions are my own
March 22, 2020
This book was written for the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I. You know that one, the one that was supposed to be the war that ended all wars.
John has forgotten what his father looks like. He has forgotten a time before the war. The factories make noise, the women march off to make munitions and the fathers are in the trenches.
It is all very bleak, and depressing. And then a pacifist drops leaflets with pictures of children that he met in Germany when he was there before the war.
And John sees that the enemy looks just like him.
Not sure if this would be good for a child to read without an adult to explain some of the things that happen in the story. Good that it was written, however.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
John has forgotten what his father looks like. He has forgotten a time before the war. The factories make noise, the women march off to make munitions and the fathers are in the trenches.
It is all very bleak, and depressing. And then a pacifist drops leaflets with pictures of children that he met in Germany when he was there before the war.
And John sees that the enemy looks just like him.
Not sure if this would be good for a child to read without an adult to explain some of the things that happen in the story. Good that it was written, however.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
January 26, 2020
Where other authors use two hundred words, David Almond uses two, but they are the perfect two and cut straight to the heart of the matter. I don't know how he does it, but reading his books is a humbling experience because he has such a way with words. This short story, accompanied by evocative illustrations is a real winner.
February 5, 2019
A heartbreaking child like perspective of the first world war. A beautiful, poignant tale of a horrific war. This book is so honest and raw, it's written with such care and consideration. The illustrations are just as breathtaking as the words, a perfect partnership. It's a worthy commemoration.
July 18, 2020
نمیدانم چرا به نظرم شعاری، رو و مستقیمگو رسید. «کودک، سرباز، دریا» را خیلی خیلی بیشتر دوست داشتم و عمیقتر یافتم.
با این همه نقاشیهایش زیبا بود و ایدهاش هم مسلّماً درخور توجه.
با این همه نقاشیهایش زیبا بود و ایدهاش هم مسلّماً درخور توجه.
November 24, 2021
Libro per ragazzi corredato da belle immagini. . Ambientato in Inghilterra nel 1918.
protagonista è un bimbo mite di nome Jan. La mamma lavora in una fabbrica di munizioni, il papà combatte al fronte.
A scuola i nemici vengono presentati come mostri sanguinari.
In sogno il protagonista incontra e frequenta un bambino, tedesco, simile a lui in tutto, con il quale condivide angoscie e speranze in una visione di un mondo migliore, riappacificato.
protagonista è un bimbo mite di nome Jan. La mamma lavora in una fabbrica di munizioni, il papà combatte al fronte.
A scuola i nemici vengono presentati come mostri sanguinari.
In sogno il protagonista incontra e frequenta un bambino, tedesco, simile a lui in tutto, con il quale condivide angoscie e speranze in una visione di un mondo migliore, riappacificato.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2019
A hard-hitting insight into the grasp that war had upon the lives of British children and adults. In this story we see the confusion and hopelessness felt by young John as he watches his society constantly preparing and desperate to fight, and yet feels nothing but horror at the prospect of never-ending conflict. Some strong messages are to be taken as to who is actually at war, those fighting or those making the orders. I really liked how John rejected the ideology projected upon him that he himself is a part of the war, and felt love towards those that he was supposed to hate.
Almond and Litchfield offer something that I have not often seen in war based literature, a window into the work done by women in the war and the way that infrastructure changed to make way for the construction of weapons. They allow us to consider that the horrors of war were also felt beyond the battleground, and not just by those physically fighting- but also in those part of the chain that allow the fighting to happen.
A story that would work seamlessly in the classroom. A lot shorter than some of the classic war based novels read in schools, but offering no less in terms of points of discussion and opportunities to change thinking. I wonder whether this story may also bridge the gap in the war based stories available for Lower Key Stage Two, with such an abundance being available for the older years.
Almond and Litchfield offer something that I have not often seen in war based literature, a window into the work done by women in the war and the way that infrastructure changed to make way for the construction of weapons. They allow us to consider that the horrors of war were also felt beyond the battleground, and not just by those physically fighting- but also in those part of the chain that allow the fighting to happen.
A story that would work seamlessly in the classroom. A lot shorter than some of the classic war based novels read in schools, but offering no less in terms of points of discussion and opportunities to change thinking. I wonder whether this story may also bridge the gap in the war based stories available for Lower Key Stage Two, with such an abundance being available for the older years.
August 2, 2019
David Almond has always been one of my favorite authors, so when I saw that he had written a book commemorating the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I, I knew I had to read it. If you are already familiar with Almond's books, you know they are always tinged with a bit of magic mixed into his spot on depictions of time and place, and characters who are just trying to make sense of the world around them. And so it is with this novella.
How, young John and his classmates want to know, can they be at war with the Germans, they're only children. It's 1918 and all John has ever known is the world at war. His father has been fighting in the trenches in France for so long, John barely remembers him. And his mam has been working 12 to 24 hours a day in the world's largest munitions factory near their home, making ships, and bombs, guns and shells. John worries about both his parents - his dad getting killed at the front, his mam in a accident at the munitions factory, and he just wants to know when the war will be over. First, he asked the king in a letter, but never heard back from him; next he wrote the Archbishop of Canterbury, who likewise didn't respond. There were not answers at school, either.
Then, on a class trip to the munitions factory, John sees a man speaking out against the war, telling them that children are not at war, and them showing pictures of German children, children who look just like they do. The man, Gordon, is a conscientious objector, or conchie, and is beaten by three men, but not before John rescues a picture of a German boy named Jan.
John tries to write to Jan, but oddly enough, he runs into Jan in the woods near his home after having spent some time with Gordon, who gives him his white feather, considered to be a symbol of cowardice. John and Jan are just alike, and both agree that they are not at war with each other. But, just as suddenly as he appeared, Jan is gone.
Desperate for peace after his meeting Jan, John begins to dream of a time when there would be peace, when everyone could be friends again. And when peace finally does come, John determines that he will go to Germany and become friends with Jan someday.
War is Over is a powerful anti-war novella about a child confronting the horrors of war on the home front and expressing the kind of confusion about what he sees and hears that you would expect from a child. John's teacher's extreme jingoism is really evident in the militarist way he treats people, including his class, and his nationalist ideas, especially his contempt for Gordon, the conscientious objector. You can really the sense the contempt he feels for John, treating him as though he is a conchie-in-training. In fact, everyone, including John's mother, is afraid to be seen as unpatriotic. When John's letter to Jan is confiscated by the authorities, she almost turns her back on her own son.
Almond doesn't glorify or celebrate war and David Litchfield's black and white illustrations support that throughout the book. Though they are done in a cartoon-like style, they are no less poignant as they still capture all the horror of war in the trenches and on the home front in a town that supports war. I think one of the most effective illustrations shows the transition for children playing war into soldiers fighting at the front. This image is from Litchfield's website but I decided to use it instead of the black and white image in the book so you can see the transition more clearly, not just of the children, but of the falling leaves becoming dropped bombs.
War is Over is a powerful book that tackles some difficult themes that are as relevant today as they were in 1918. Jingoism, nationalism, patriotism, cowardice, bravery, the impact of war on children and families are all addressed as John observes the world around him. This is a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story, one you won't soon forget. Pair this with Captain Rosalie by Timothée de Fombelle for another view of how war impacts children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
How, young John and his classmates want to know, can they be at war with the Germans, they're only children. It's 1918 and all John has ever known is the world at war. His father has been fighting in the trenches in France for so long, John barely remembers him. And his mam has been working 12 to 24 hours a day in the world's largest munitions factory near their home, making ships, and bombs, guns and shells. John worries about both his parents - his dad getting killed at the front, his mam in a accident at the munitions factory, and he just wants to know when the war will be over. First, he asked the king in a letter, but never heard back from him; next he wrote the Archbishop of Canterbury, who likewise didn't respond. There were not answers at school, either.
Then, on a class trip to the munitions factory, John sees a man speaking out against the war, telling them that children are not at war, and them showing pictures of German children, children who look just like they do. The man, Gordon, is a conscientious objector, or conchie, and is beaten by three men, but not before John rescues a picture of a German boy named Jan.
John tries to write to Jan, but oddly enough, he runs into Jan in the woods near his home after having spent some time with Gordon, who gives him his white feather, considered to be a symbol of cowardice. John and Jan are just alike, and both agree that they are not at war with each other. But, just as suddenly as he appeared, Jan is gone.
Desperate for peace after his meeting Jan, John begins to dream of a time when there would be peace, when everyone could be friends again. And when peace finally does come, John determines that he will go to Germany and become friends with Jan someday.
War is Over is a powerful anti-war novella about a child confronting the horrors of war on the home front and expressing the kind of confusion about what he sees and hears that you would expect from a child. John's teacher's extreme jingoism is really evident in the militarist way he treats people, including his class, and his nationalist ideas, especially his contempt for Gordon, the conscientious objector. You can really the sense the contempt he feels for John, treating him as though he is a conchie-in-training. In fact, everyone, including John's mother, is afraid to be seen as unpatriotic. When John's letter to Jan is confiscated by the authorities, she almost turns her back on her own son.
Almond doesn't glorify or celebrate war and David Litchfield's black and white illustrations support that throughout the book. Though they are done in a cartoon-like style, they are no less poignant as they still capture all the horror of war in the trenches and on the home front in a town that supports war. I think one of the most effective illustrations shows the transition for children playing war into soldiers fighting at the front. This image is from Litchfield's website but I decided to use it instead of the black and white image in the book so you can see the transition more clearly, not just of the children, but of the falling leaves becoming dropped bombs.
War is Over is a powerful book that tackles some difficult themes that are as relevant today as they were in 1918. Jingoism, nationalism, patriotism, cowardice, bravery, the impact of war on children and families are all addressed as John observes the world around him. This is a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story, one you won't soon forget. Pair this with Captain Rosalie by Timothée de Fombelle for another view of how war impacts children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
June 8, 2020
Thanks to Candlewick Press for a copy of this book! First published in England.
You probably know David Almond is British, thus this story, set during World War I, is about John, a British boy, whose father is fighting in the trenches in France, and his mother works the long, twelve-hour shifts with hundreds of other women in a munitions factory in their town.
John's teacher Mr. McTavish (not a friendly soul at all) is taking the class for a tour to the munitions factory, continues to lecture the children that they're all at war, too, fighting the enemy children. On the way, they encounter John's friend Dorothy's Uncle Gordon, evidently deemed a traitor, against the war. He has pictures of children in Germany, says they are good children, not an enemy. You can begin to guess the dilemma. Some, like a boy named Alec, is enthusiastic about the war and the killing, but John questions. He is just a child. How can he be at war? He picks up a picture of a German boy named Jan and later has a dream-like encounter with that boy where they scatter seeds of peace. It's a story made sad by all the elements of war and childhood mixed poignantly by Almond and illustrated in somber black and white illustrations by David Litchfield. Almond's stories are deeply thoughtful. I believe this will resonate with middle schoolers and up.
You probably know David Almond is British, thus this story, set during World War I, is about John, a British boy, whose father is fighting in the trenches in France, and his mother works the long, twelve-hour shifts with hundreds of other women in a munitions factory in their town.
John's teacher Mr. McTavish (not a friendly soul at all) is taking the class for a tour to the munitions factory, continues to lecture the children that they're all at war, too, fighting the enemy children. On the way, they encounter John's friend Dorothy's Uncle Gordon, evidently deemed a traitor, against the war. He has pictures of children in Germany, says they are good children, not an enemy. You can begin to guess the dilemma. Some, like a boy named Alec, is enthusiastic about the war and the killing, but John questions. He is just a child. How can he be at war? He picks up a picture of a German boy named Jan and later has a dream-like encounter with that boy where they scatter seeds of peace. It's a story made sad by all the elements of war and childhood mixed poignantly by Almond and illustrated in somber black and white illustrations by David Litchfield. Almond's stories are deeply thoughtful. I believe this will resonate with middle schoolers and up.
April 23, 2020
This is a really easy read about life at home during WW1. I really enjoyed this element of it as it didn’t look at what it was like on the front, it was how the children and women back home dealt with it. There were some really interesting themes about friendship and how the English and German children aren’t that different so why should be at war, and how they dealt with traitors back home. Definitely a good book to read and it’s really quick. There are also some AMAZING illustrations that accompany nearly every page of writing, I love what the illustrator did with it.
August 21, 2020
An affecting story of war and its effect on the French community and family in which the protagonist lives. The WWI setting is managed well and John's meditations as he figures out his feelings and the depth of the war add a hint of magic realism to the text. Very effective black and white illustration by David Almond.
Captain Rosalee by Timothée de Fombelle dealt with this war and French citizens as well, and was told through the eyes of a child. That book touched me more deeply but War is Over is a fine addition to this subject for young readers.
Captain Rosalee by Timothée de Fombelle dealt with this war and French citizens as well, and was told through the eyes of a child. That book touched me more deeply but War is Over is a fine addition to this subject for young readers.
October 23, 2018
A young boy’s desperate wish in war.
Britain is in the middle of war and, for many, it’s not clear why they are. They want war to be over and dream of a time when they can talk with others without fearing repercussions.
A simple story but beautifully illustrated. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this, but I think this will be a lovely story to get my hands on a physical copy.
Britain is in the middle of war and, for many, it’s not clear why they are. They want war to be over and dream of a time when they can talk with others without fearing repercussions.
A simple story but beautifully illustrated. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this, but I think this will be a lovely story to get my hands on a physical copy.
August 2, 2020
I received this digital copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. This is my first book I’ve read by David Almond. This quickly read story is a work of historical fiction told from the perspective of a young during WW1 whose mom goes to work in a munitions plant in Britain in 1918. Throughout this book his empathy shows as he struggles to figure out if he is at war as well.
August 4, 2020
Appreciated that this book is illustrated as the illustrations help the reader-viewer focus more deeply on the action and theme.
August 13, 2022
A very touching short story.
July 2, 2022
Another top notch book by Almond. The story of a young British boy during WWI.
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
July 3, 2020
فکر کنم من کلا همه کتابهایی که مفهوم ضد جنگ دارن رو دوست داشته باشم. این كتاب آقای آلموند هم از این قاعده مستثنی نبود. داستانش زیبا و روون و ساده بود و جنگ رو از دید بچهای ۹-۱۰ ساله در اواخر جنگ جهانی دوم روایت میکنه که پدرش مثل همه همسنهاش، در حال جنگه و مادرش در کارخونه ساخت مهمات کار میکنه. جنگ ولی برای این پسربچهی داستان همیشه شبیه یک علامت سواله تا اینکه اتفاقاتی میوفته ومتوجه میشه از جنگ بیزاره و هر شب رویای صلح میبینه.
August 3, 2023
بقیه آدما رو نمیدونم، ولی من تقریبا در هر حالتی از کتابی که تصویر داره استقبال میکنم.
داستانش خیلی ساده و قشنگ بود، ولی در عین حال یه جاهاییش اشک آدم رو درمیآورد. تصاویر هم به خوبی با داستان هماهنگ بودن. خیلی هم کوتاه بود، اصلا نفهمیدم کی تموم شد.
دوستش داشتم.
داستانش خیلی ساده و قشنگ بود، ولی در عین حال یه جاهاییش اشک آدم رو درمیآورد. تصاویر هم به خوبی با داستان هماهنگ بودن. خیلی هم کوتاه بود، اصلا نفهمیدم کی تموم شد.
دوستش داشتم.
November 21, 2021
This story was published in 2019 and is a fiction quick read novel. It is about one boys hope that he will be able to have a German friend when the war is over this story covers the fears and life from the perspective of children during war time it might be used to give students a perspective of what fears others might face if they come from a war torn country.
February 10, 2019
Hmmn. This felt uncomfortable, overly symbolic and didactic to me. An English boy John is living during the first World War, his dad is in the trenches and his mom works in a munitions factory. His teacher and the community at large are filled with jingoistic hatred of the enemy. The boy is consumed with questions: when will the war end, how can children be at war, how can it be right that his mom fills shells with shrapnel, why are conscientious objectors beaten, why is a white feather, intrinsically beautiful, a dangerous sign of something shameful, why should he hate a German boy Jan? I was reminded of the scene in the Giver where the main character cries out in horror at the children ‘playing war.’ It all felt, true, sad, incomplete. I can see why it is a necessary counterpoint to other books commemorating the 100th anniversary of WW1. But I don’t know what U.S. child would appreciate this book, or begin to have the context to understand it. Might be a useful way for older students learning about the war to internalize what it felt like for children. I wish there had been an author’s note. Was is based on conversation with those who lived through the period or simply an imagined perspective? Felt more adult than kid. Charming illustration.
July 7, 2020
Hmmm, this is a tricky one.
Good things: The writing is so lovely and the illustrations are gorgeous and evocative despite their simpleness. I appreciate the author's message about the danger/cruelty of teaching children to hate and fear entire groups as "enemies."
Problems: I have no idea who the author thought he was writing to but I would never hand this to anyone under the age of 12; yet it's being marketed as middle-grade. I also think it's putting forth an over-simplistic idea of war. All of the people supporting the war were portrayed as violent, bigoted, and/or thoughtless; it seems to suggest that there is never a good reason for war/fighting. It's a bold stance to put forward using a character who will be of fighting age when Hitler embarks upon his campaign of subjugation and genocide.
Good things: The writing is so lovely and the illustrations are gorgeous and evocative despite their simpleness. I appreciate the author's message about the danger/cruelty of teaching children to hate and fear entire groups as "enemies."
Problems: I have no idea who the author thought he was writing to but I would never hand this to anyone under the age of 12; yet it's being marketed as middle-grade. I also think it's putting forth an over-simplistic idea of war. All of the people supporting the war were portrayed as violent, bigoted, and/or thoughtless; it seems to suggest that there is never a good reason for war/fighting. It's a bold stance to put forward using a character who will be of fighting age when Hitler embarks upon his campaign of subjugation and genocide.
December 22, 2020
Hope Transcends All
Transcending its time and period, this moving and lyrical story, beautifully illustrated, explores the fear and hope of children in time of war.
I am just a child. How can I be at war?
It’s 1918, and war is everywhere. John’s father is fighting in the trenches far away in France, while his mother works in a menacing munitions factory just along the road. His teacher says that John is fighting, too, that he is at war with enemy children in Germany. One day, in the wild woods outside town, John has an impossible moment: a dreamlike meeting with a German boy named Jan. John catches a glimpse of a better world, in which children like Jan and himself can one day scatter the seeds of peace. David Almond brings his ineffable sensibility to a poignant tale of the effects of war on children, interwoven with David Litchfield’s gorgeous black-and-white illustrations.
Out May 2020
128 Pages
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I often read and think about wartime, especially because I had a father/grandfathers who were veterans. I’ve heard many stories about the two wars, WWI and WWII, from family who were somehow touched by war either directly or indirectly, but I’ve never really thought of what a child who lived during this time would have thought or gone through.
This book opens my eyes to a new perspective through incredible writing accompanied by beautiful artwork. A sobering story to say the least. The main character, John, barely remembers his father’s face since war has been dragging on for so long. His mother works in a factory that builds bombs and it’s dangerous work. John is left to himself a lot where he imagines befriending a German boy his age and what they’d talk about. He dreams of his father coming home and his mother no longer needing to work where she is working, but is home safe. He dreams of peace and really doesn’t understand why he is suffering for a war he didn’t start or want. His sadness overwhelms the pages as you turn them.
This story was a commemoration to the hundred-year anniversary to the end of WWI. Although people may find this a difficult and bleak story to read, it should be read over and over again, studied in schools so that history never repeats itself. Many suffered during both wars and many gave their lives so we could live peacefully. We must never forget this and neither should our children. There are reasons why our lives are as they are now… it’s because others gave theirs defending a way of life, a way of thinking, and for peace.
Transcending its time and period, this moving and lyrical story, beautifully illustrated, explores the fear and hope of children in time of war.
I am just a child. How can I be at war?
It’s 1918, and war is everywhere. John’s father is fighting in the trenches far away in France, while his mother works in a menacing munitions factory just along the road. His teacher says that John is fighting, too, that he is at war with enemy children in Germany. One day, in the wild woods outside town, John has an impossible moment: a dreamlike meeting with a German boy named Jan. John catches a glimpse of a better world, in which children like Jan and himself can one day scatter the seeds of peace. David Almond brings his ineffable sensibility to a poignant tale of the effects of war on children, interwoven with David Litchfield’s gorgeous black-and-white illustrations.
Out May 2020
128 Pages
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I often read and think about wartime, especially because I had a father/grandfathers who were veterans. I’ve heard many stories about the two wars, WWI and WWII, from family who were somehow touched by war either directly or indirectly, but I’ve never really thought of what a child who lived during this time would have thought or gone through.
This book opens my eyes to a new perspective through incredible writing accompanied by beautiful artwork. A sobering story to say the least. The main character, John, barely remembers his father’s face since war has been dragging on for so long. His mother works in a factory that builds bombs and it’s dangerous work. John is left to himself a lot where he imagines befriending a German boy his age and what they’d talk about. He dreams of his father coming home and his mother no longer needing to work where she is working, but is home safe. He dreams of peace and really doesn’t understand why he is suffering for a war he didn’t start or want. His sadness overwhelms the pages as you turn them.
This story was a commemoration to the hundred-year anniversary to the end of WWI. Although people may find this a difficult and bleak story to read, it should be read over and over again, studied in schools so that history never repeats itself. Many suffered during both wars and many gave their lives so we could live peacefully. We must never forget this and neither should our children. There are reasons why our lives are as they are now… it’s because others gave theirs defending a way of life, a way of thinking, and for peace.
April 11, 2020
From the author of Skellig.
‘Outside the dream, the war went on…’
Wow! What a gorgeous, uplifting, sad and poignant book all rolled into one. David Almond wrote this book to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War and he has done an absolutely masterful job. War is Over is aimed at 9-11 year olds but I would extend this to 8-12 at least. It is accessible and engaging – children will love it.
When the story begins, John’s father is away fighting in France and his mum works at the nearby munitions factory – ‘the biggest munitions factory in the world’ - where warships, guns, bombs and shells are made. John can barely remember life before the war and hears about the devastation on a daily basis when fathers of his friends are killed. He realises that he can barely remember what his own father looks like. This first part of the book is quiet and sad. The illustrations are grey, black and cold.
Mr McTavish, John’s Headteacher tells him and the other pupils that they are all at war with Germany – even John – and describes a local man, Gordon, as a coward and a traitor as he refuses to fight. When Gordon is hurt, for refusing to hurt others, and the children hear his screams of pain, the reader gets a glimpse through John’s eyes of just how confusing and barbaric the situation is. John’s questioning, peaceful character is contrasted vividly with that of Alec, who plays at killing Germans and finds the trip to the munitions factory the height of excitement.
There follows an incredible moment. In the nearby woods, John comes face to face with Jan, a German boy from Dusseldorf. He later re-visits Jan in his dreams and finally, writes to him, to explain that he doesn’t feel as though he is at war with him. His letter is found and he is branded a traitor which leads him to ask some very difficult questions of his mum.
I don’t want to spoil the ending, so will just say that it is a very satisfying one. The mood entirely changes and I was left hopeful, perhaps with a little tear in my eye…
‘When the end came, it happened fast.’
Please don’t buy this on kindle – I urge you to go for the hardback or paperback versions, in order to fully appreciate David Litchfield’s stunning illustrations and to allow you to share them with the little people in your life.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘Outside the dream, the war went on…’
Wow! What a gorgeous, uplifting, sad and poignant book all rolled into one. David Almond wrote this book to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War and he has done an absolutely masterful job. War is Over is aimed at 9-11 year olds but I would extend this to 8-12 at least. It is accessible and engaging – children will love it.
When the story begins, John’s father is away fighting in France and his mum works at the nearby munitions factory – ‘the biggest munitions factory in the world’ - where warships, guns, bombs and shells are made. John can barely remember life before the war and hears about the devastation on a daily basis when fathers of his friends are killed. He realises that he can barely remember what his own father looks like. This first part of the book is quiet and sad. The illustrations are grey, black and cold.
Mr McTavish, John’s Headteacher tells him and the other pupils that they are all at war with Germany – even John – and describes a local man, Gordon, as a coward and a traitor as he refuses to fight. When Gordon is hurt, for refusing to hurt others, and the children hear his screams of pain, the reader gets a glimpse through John’s eyes of just how confusing and barbaric the situation is. John’s questioning, peaceful character is contrasted vividly with that of Alec, who plays at killing Germans and finds the trip to the munitions factory the height of excitement.
There follows an incredible moment. In the nearby woods, John comes face to face with Jan, a German boy from Dusseldorf. He later re-visits Jan in his dreams and finally, writes to him, to explain that he doesn’t feel as though he is at war with him. His letter is found and he is branded a traitor which leads him to ask some very difficult questions of his mum.
I don’t want to spoil the ending, so will just say that it is a very satisfying one. The mood entirely changes and I was left hopeful, perhaps with a little tear in my eye…
‘When the end came, it happened fast.’
Please don’t buy this on kindle – I urge you to go for the hardback or paperback versions, in order to fully appreciate David Litchfield’s stunning illustrations and to allow you to share them with the little people in your life.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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