One of the harshest aspects of the book for a modern reader is reading how children of the time were treated; how well do you think today's child would cope in 1940s Britain? His mum looks unwell, and Noah's immediate thought goes to his dad, but the government is stirring up the nation into preemptive action and Noah's going to be evacuated to Cornwall with his classmates. Get ready for some lessons in survival, World War II, faith, hope, animal welfare, geography and compassion. As war is declared, Noah is devastated to read the government guidance that all pets should be humanely destroyed and children are to be evacuated.

While the Storm Rages - Andersen Press

But these animals are all important parts of their plan and their escape to a rumoured animal haven. It has everything – Action, adventure and animals, not to mention courage, and a quest – all as war breaks out in the UK. More queues and sadly war is declared whilst they're in the queue and the staff there have to turn everyone away as they've already reached capacity. Peggy is evacuated to the safety of the coast, but Beau is left behind in the city, where he becomes the most extraordinary and unlikely of war heroes. In While the Storm Rages, 12-year-old Noah's dad joins up in the period just before World War 2 begins.The ability to focus on the experiences of one child in particular despite the total overwhelming background noise of war allows the reader to get some understanding of what it must have felt like to lose all the things that you love and take for granted. I may not be from the war era, but the phrases/words used instantly take me back to my childhood, hearing similar expressions my parents would use. This was a great adventure story that I couldn't put down, and kept the reader wondering if Noah would be successful. Please note that this story contains content that might be upsetting for some readers – we advise always reading the text before sharing it with your group.

While the Storm Rages | BookTrust

However, this is, above all, a compelling read with plenty of excitement as Noah steers his boat down the Thames.

We now know that almost 3 million people from urban areas in England were evacuated to lower risk places away from German bombs in the first 4 days of the operation.