Chosen by our Guest Editor for May 2023, Jacqueline Wilson,as one of her must-reads- " This story about a fierce lonely boy and his bond with a huge gorilla called Adonis is exceptionally moving." Mrs F is also the keeper of the local zoo, which has been in her family for years. There she attends daily to care for the animals that are left behind, including Adonis the Gorilla who is as moody as Joseph is.

Mrs F, Grans associate is the lady now in charge of him. She is short, strict and makes it clear his behaviour will not be tolerated and sets about making him conform by going to school, doing chores and working. And this is where the story takes a different direction. Mrs F runs the family Zoo at a time in the Blitz when food is rationed and people think animals should be put down. But Mrs F has Adonis the gorilla and as Joseph works at the Zoo with the help of his new friend Syd he begins to warm to her, him and vice versa. But Joseph is not the only one with difficulties and a past and will that be the end of the loss in his short life?. Can they help heal each other?. Because of these details, I would recommend this book, to give others the opportunity to read about this interesting side of evacuee life. However, I myself would not read it again, for although I enjoyed reading it, it wasn’t particularly life-changing, nor is it my favourite book, but I believe that it was still worth reading. The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells... I think this book is a really good book because of the way it's written, it shows how different the characters are and their personalities. My favourite character has to be Mrs F because at first she seems like a really bossy or pushy person but once you get to know her properly, she’s actually a really thoughtful and caring person.We know from the start that Joseph is a troubled boy, but his full story unweaves slowly over the course of the book, as do the stories of Mrs F, the owner of a zoo who takes charge of him and sets him to work trying to find food for its starving animals (including a majestic but sad gorilla), a girl called Syd who befriends him despite all his efforts to push her away, and Adonis, that sad gorilla who is at the heart of the unfolding narratives and heart-wrenching finale. By the time the ending inevitably imperils the zoo, I hadn't been given enough for the danger to the animals to resonate, or the threat they represent, the love Mrs. F has for it... Based on such horrible true events in the history of WW2 but making the story more fictional and about a sweet friendship between both the boy and the gorilla really shows the effects of the war but what positive consequences it had. Despite this heart-warming affection towards this relationship this book was really sad at the same time showing the hardships and unfortunate truths of the war. It is overall a rollercoaster of emotions and was extremely well written based on the true events.

I loved this story. The theme of loss running through it makes this a sad but incredibly uplifting book. The plot is fast-paced and you really care what happens to Joseph and Mrs F. I kept willing them to understand each other and meet in the middle. The Second World War feels like another character in the book, with the bombs that show no respect and Hitler as the ultimate bully, and bullies must never win. Small snippets of daily life add texture to the story, a milkman delivering milk to a house that no longer exists, kids playing on rubble. Behind every anger hides deep-seated sadness and that's a big life lesson that Joseph needs to learn.No wonder he is angry! Bombs are raining down on the city that Joseph is sent to as an evacuee. And anyway, who came up with the stupid idea that he should live with Mrs F. who doesn’t even like children! He knows he should just run away but where would he go? My favourite part of the book was Joseph’s relationship with Adonis because it was a demonstration of how he began to trust others and care for them. However, I also liked how he and Mrs F ‘finally found’ a bit of solace in each other. The book made me research things I have never questioned before, and some of the answers were upsetting and gave way to a certain amount of anger, to say the least. I thought the whole plot was really thought-provoking and very exciting. Joseph’s life was very hard.

Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. As Joseph settles into his new temporary home he realises that he is not alone, he also comes to share a bond with Adonis but as the bombs rain down on the city, both he and Mrs F know that if Adonis escapes his cage then they must do the unthinkable, a task neither of them wants. History inspired activity researching and writing a leaflet (non-chronological report) about rationing in the war.

Joseph has other battles with school, in particular bullying and his serious troubles with reading. Like so many children of his generation, his dyslexia is not recognised or understood. An extraordinary story with historical and family truth at its heart, that tells us as much about the present as the past. Deeply felt, movingly written, a remarkable achievement’ Michael Morpurgo

Mrs F. is the owner of a zoo and she takes Joseph to work with her. This is where Joseph meets the strong gorilla named Adonis. At first he wants nothing to do with the animal until the gorilla takes him under his protection A wonderful story of hurt, kindness, and what it means to be human in an inhumane world.” - The Times of London, Children's Book of the Year Oh wow! When the Sky Falls is the most emotional and exciting middle grade book that I have read this year! Take a moment to look at the front cover more closely. A fabulous illustration that gives you a peek at what lies inside that cover When the Sky Falls took into a part of WW2 that I haven't previously read about. We have read stories about life on the home front but this is a new angle looking at the struggles of a city zoo.I really liked this book because of the characters and how they changed over time. Joseph, a young dyslexic with anger issues, overcomes his difficulties with sharing emotions and letting people in whilst Mrs F opens up about her family. A six week unit of work based on chapters 1-6 of the book ‘When the Sky Falls’ with comprehension tasks, writing tasks, history WW2 objectives and activities and a plenty of challenges included throughout. An emotional story about young Joseph, a child with dyslexia growing up whilst the war is raging who travels to London to stay with gruff and mysterious Mrs F. This story was beautifully written and There were many things I loved about it. The characters were also conveyed in a great way. Joseph was really hateable (if that's a word) at the start, but you gradually grow to like him, and begin to realise that he is a boy that is mentally troubled by his previous life. Syd is a wonderfully kind, yet talkative character who just wants to help. Mrs F, well, you just feel sorry for her at the beginning - she was just dumped with this boy, that, let's face it, she didn't really want.