After Suki's disappearance, Olive's mother fears for her children's safety and evacuates them to Devon where they stay in a lighthouse. Even though Olive is in Devon, she is determined to find out what really happened to her sister. Olive is still convinced that she is still alive somewhere. If your middle grade kids (ages 8-12) haven't discovered Emma Carroll yet, then they're missing out., Irish Times Desperate to be helpful, Olive becomes his post-girl, carrying secret messages (as she likes to think of the letters) to the villagers. But Olive has a secret of her own. Her older sister Sukie went missing in an air raid, and she's desperate to discover what happened to her. And then she finds a strange coded note which seems to link Sukie to Devon, and to something dark and impossibly dangerous. Adult characters initially treat a downed German pilot in a threatening manner, including spitting at him.

The story is told from the perspective of an evacuee named Olive. A main focus of the story is the growing friendship between Olive and a Jewish refugee named Esther. At first, Olive is unsure about Esther as she is different to the other children and comes across as cold and uninviting. However, as Olive listens to Esther talk more about her lived experiences as a Jew in Austria and then as a refugee in England, Olive starts to see how she initially misunderstood Esther and begins to appreciate how brave and courageous she is. I think we can learn a lot from this friendship as it shows us that prejudice and discrimination can be overcome by empathy and mutual understanding. This fictionalised story is as memorable as Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful and as beautifully written as Warhorse. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could give it nothing less than 5 stars. Mi se părea că oamenii erau mult mai greu de descifrat decât codurile. Și totuși, nu conta de unde veneam, care era limba noastră, naționalitatea sau religia, atâta timp cât priveam cu toții spre lumină.” Without being preachy, the story also encompasses the themes of empathy, tolerance and kindness; such important messages in our current world. I would recommend this book for anyone of 9 and above; I will certainly be buying a copy for my school's library. I think that there are a few world leaders who would benefit from reading it too! Letters from the Lighthouse starts off with relatively few characters, but the number increases steadily as the book progresses, resulting in quite a few by the end. Each character feels necessary, and it’s clear that Emma Carroll has put a lot of thought into what each one can bring to the story. This asymmetric character structure gives the story room to delve into the deep-rooted prejudices often faced by refugees, as seen through the eyes of open-minded children. By shining a spotlight on supplementary characters’ preconceptions and showing their progression towards change and acceptance, my class were able to connect with the injustices faced by refugees, both in the past and the present, on a far deeper level.Lovereading4kids are big fans of Emma’s books. Her stories continue to delight and move me, and Letters from the Lighthouse does not disappoint at all.

This book portrays both the light and shade of humanity in its truest form. I had no idea the difficulties Jews faced trying to enter our country at such a time and wish that our laws would have done more to help. The main protagonists are Olive and Cliff, a brother and sister evacuated from London to a small fishing village in Devon during WW II. Their father has been killed, their mother appears to be sinking under her grief and their older sister has gone missing after a bombing raid. The author conveys the relationship between these two younger siblings beautifully; Olive's love and care for her little brother is palpable. I felt transported into World War II: the rushing when there was an air-raid siren, why some children wanted to be evacuated and why some children did not, living with rationing and experiencing different lifestyles once evacuated. February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he's not used to company and he certainly doesn't want any evacuees. Desperate to be helpful, Olive becomes his post-girl, carrying secret messages (as she likes to think of the letters) to the villagers. But Olive has a secret of her own. Her older sister Sukie went missing in an air raid, and she's desperate to discover what happened to her. And then she finds a strange coded note which seems to link Sukie to Devon, and to something dark and impossibly dangerous. About This Edition ISBN:Letters from the Lighthouse will appeal to readers of all dispositions, as Carroll ensures the historical elements never overwhelm the story, which is as accessible as anything set in modern times. That said, Letters From the Lighthouse will also sit nicely with other classic second World War tales, like Nina Bawden's Carrie's War and, more recently, Shirley Hughes's Whistling in the Dark., Irish Times

With a rich cast of village characters and a theme of prejudice and acceptance, it brings history close to us, Sunday Times Summer Reading A beautifully written story about bravery, compassion, understanding, and having the strength to fight for what you believe in. ~ Shelley Fallows Letters from the Lighthouse book has been translated into multiple languages and editions. The book has been translated into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, and Chinese. Book Editions Bombing and subsequent hospitalisation feature in the first few chapters. These paint a grim picture of the war, but remain suitable for younger children and should not cause any problems for your class. I especially enjoyed this book because I have such an interest for World War II. I would recommend this book to history lovers and gutsy people.I enjoyed this book very much. I particularly liked the character Sukie and I like the part where the bomb goes off while they are at the cinema. I thought the history was so realistic and it's made me want to find out more about the history and that time period in particular.

The historical information I have learnt from this book is that Jews were not given permission to evacuate to any country. Only some countries gave permission. I think this was a good book for me to write a review on as I really enjoy reading war books; I have about 10 of them. I will definitely be looking out for more of Emma Carroll's books. February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he's not used to company and he certainly doesn't want any evacuees. Emma Carroll is said to be the queen of middle grade historical fiction. One book down and a handful more to go, and I��m already agreeing with this statement!Emma really described the characters, their personalities and brought them to life. I extremely liked Olive because she reminded me of a friend from Cornwall (caring). I can really imagine living in the war from reading this book as the description can draw a picture in my mind. In this book, there were not a lot of illustrations but the ones there were, were thorough and detailed to help visualise the story. Told through letters that Molly writes to her mother and siblings, the novel follows Molly’s journey as she helps a young evacuee, Pearl, search for her missing father and navigate the secrets of the lighthouse. Along the way, Molly unravels a host of mysterious stories surrounding her new home on the coast.