Thus, for Morpurgo, the grandparent and the storyteller provide the next generation with an emotional and cultural link through which values, beliefs and experiences are passed on and given new life by the next generation. The individual person and the individual story are shown to be valuable, not merely for their own sake, but as part of a broader spectrum of interconnectedness. This is a beautifully written tale of an exceptional friendship which survives beyond the boundaries of culture and language. Unlike many of today’s authors for young people, Morpurgo rarely features contemporary family issues such as divorce, inadequate parents or urban social problems. Instead, many of his books have historical and rural settings, and he uses his gift for telling enchanting stories to explore timeless values. As Professor Jean Webb points out: ‘stoicism, courage, trust... an humanitarian approach and listening to each other ... [These values] contain an ethical wisdom which transcends the immediacy of the everyday’ ( Inis, Winter 2005). Through the creation of well-rounded and believable child characters, with whom today’s child readers can easily identify, Morpurgo shows that the above values are still relevant to, and much-needed in, contemporary society.

The Guardian describes Private Peaceful, his 2003 novel for older children, as a "humanising and humane work". [73] Children's Laureate [ edit ] His students loved the stories and Michael loved telling them and it was then that he decided that he wanted to write stories for children.In 1976, Morpurgo and his wife Clare established the charity Farms for City Children, [82] with the primary aim of providing children from inner city areas with experience of the countryside. [83] The programme involves the children spending a week at a countryside farm, during which they take part in purposeful farmyard work. [84] [17] The charity's first president was the couple's close friend and neighbour, Ted Hughes. [24] In a January 2014 article, Morpurgo stated "as we begin to mark the centenary of the first world war, we should honour those who died, most certainly, and gratefully too, but we should never glorify... Come each November over the next four years, let the red poppy and the white poppy be worn together to honour those who died, to keep our faith with them, to make of this world a place where freedom and peace can reign together." [86] Elgot, Jessica (24 April 2015). "Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas – but not the Greens". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 22 July 2015. Morpurgo was awarded an honorary doctorate at Bishop Grosseteste University on 17 July 2013. [95] He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Newcastle University on 12 July 2017. [96]

Michael Morpurgo, author of over 100 books, could in many ways be described as an ‘old-fashioned’ writer. Lacey, Hester (31 March 2017). "A Q&A with writer Michael Morpurgo". Financial Times . Retrieved 5 January 2020. Included in this collection of short stories is a poignant tale about civil war, where a young girl hides from enemy soldiers in a public toilet; a haunting story of a little girl swept out to sea while collecting cowrie shells; and the moving account of two brothers, who, over the years, create a mental picture of their absent father. Little Foxes is a spellbinding animal story from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo. Bullied at school, nagged in Aunty May's tenth-floor council flat, there's only one place Billy really feels alive - in the wilderness by the canal. There he watches a cygnet on the water and protects a family of fox cubs. Then his secret place is discovered and the fox family decimated. Unwanted and unloved, Billy and the last fox run for their lives . . . Newberry, Linda. "Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo," The Guardian (UK). 7 November 2009, 17 April 2011.About 85,000 children have taken part in the scheme since it was set up, and the charity now has three farms in Wales, Devon, and Gloucestershire. Morpurgo has referred to the charity as his greatest achievement in life. [85] Political views [ edit ] A powerful novel from Michael Morpurgo, the nation’s favourite storyteller…Never have Aman and his mother needed a friend more than when a Springer Spaniel appears – thin and war-ravaged – in the mouth of their Afghan cave.