The Christmas Truce

‘It's Christmas Eve 1914. A group of tired soldiers start singing Stille Nacht. Soldiers the other side of No Man's Land respond with Silent Night. The next day, soldiers on both sides put down their weapons and celebrate Christmas Day with a friendly football match.'

This heart-warming sequel to ‘Where the Poppies Now Grow' tells the tale of the famous football match between British and German soldiers on No Man's Land at Christmas, 1914.

The story is wonderfully described with reference to the two soldiers Ben and Ray from the previous book. The illustrations within the book not only show the coming together of nations, but also the destruction that war can cause to cities and villages.

Children in my Year 2 class liked the fact that everybody stopped fighting for a day and was at peace with one another, proving there is still humanity in the midst of war. The German lyrics to ‘Silent Night' are written at the beginning of the book which emphasises the similarities of people. The end of the book includes real letter extracts from the Imperial War Museum, emphasising to the children that the story did happen in real life. The children found this story much easier to understand and it evoked a lot of emotional responses from them. There is a wealth of detail in the illustrations and the recurring theme of the mouse and the robin will add to the children's interest. The pages illustrating Ray's memorabilia symbolise the lasting significance and impact of these events to the men who served in the war.

This book was read during Remembrance Day and encouraged the children to think about the people that fight in the war and what they went through

Overall, I feel this is a well written story that explains to children the events of Christmas 1914.

Where The Poppies Now Grow

‘Childhood friends Ben and Ray find their innocent war games become real as the Great War rages around them.'

Two best friends Ben and Ray discover the reality of their childhood war games in this heartfelt book. The story is not based on a soldier's story in particular, but is what I imagine many men experienced during the First World War.

‘Where the Poppies Now Grow' is aimed at Key Stage One children, introducing them to the reality of war. This book is beautifully illustrated and the poetic language of the story depicts the cruelty of the First World War in a way that younger children can easily understand. The focus on only two characters makes it easy for children to feel empathy about what each character is going through.

Children in my Year 2 class enjoyed listening to this story as they felt it gave them an insight into the darkness of war. They were particularly upset when the book described an injured soldier and the lengths that soldiers go to for their country. Some of the language the children struggled to understand without discussion, and some felt the repetition made the story long winded, but overall the children enjoyed hearing this book.

The book relates to the aspect of the Key Stage One national curriculum that relates to significant events, however I feel this book is more relevant as a PSHCE lesson or circle time focus to discuss the effects of war and the impact it has. I chose to read this book to my class on Remembrance Day, and it encouraged the children to think about what Remembrance Day is for and the people who fought and continue to fight for their country.

Overall, I feel this is a beautifully written tale which can be enjoyed by both children and adults.