A follow-on from Five Children and It stories, in which, the five children have grown up and World War I has begun in earnest. Cyril is off to fight, Anthea is at art college, Robert is a Cambridge scholar and Jane is at high school. The sand fairy has become a creature of stories ...until, for the first time in 10 years, he suddenly reappears.
The Costa Judges said Saunders' book was "a beautifully-written exploration of the power of love in the face of the horrors of war".
Five Children on the Western Front Inspired by E. Nesbit's Five Children and it Stories Synopsis
Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2014.
This is an epic, heart-wrenching follow-on from E. Nesbit's Five Children and It stories. The five children have grown up and World War I has begun in earnest. Cyril is off to fight, Anthea is at art college, Robert is a Cambridge scholar and Jane is at high school. The Lamb is the grown up age of 11, and he has a little sister, Edith, in tow. The sand fairy has become a creature of stories ...until, for the first time in 10 years, he suddenly reappears. The siblings are pleased to have something to take their minds off the war, but this time the Psammead is here for a reason, and his magic might have a more serious purpose. Before this last adventure ends, all will be changed, and the two younger children will have seen the Great War from every possible viewpoint - factory-workers, soldiers, nurses and ambulance drivers, and the people left at home, and the war's impact will be felt right at the heart of their family.
Kate Saunders is a full-time author and journalist and has written many books for adults and children. Her books for children have won awards and received rave reviews, and include future classics such as Beswitched, Magicalamity, The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop and The Curse of the Chocolate Phoenix. Kate is a true storyteller and her magical, wickedly hilarious novels allow young readers to escape their everyday lives into wonderful worlds where they are empowered to explore and enjoy themselves. Kate lives in London.
