by Michael Morpurgo

‘Why the Whales Came’ is one in a long line of books by Michael Morpurgo. It is set on the Isles of Scilly during the First World War but it does not deal with accounts of military battles, as do Morpurgo’s other, more famous books. Instead, its beauty lies in the description of the landscapes and in the way he depicts the growing friendship between an outcast known as the Birdman and two children called Gracie and Daniel. What I liked about the children’s characters is that they showed a lot of personal bravery when standing up to some of the more difficult adults. I particularly liked the physical descriptions of the Birdman and his ramshackle hut. It has a very exciting storyline involving a curse and a race against time to save a school of whales. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Reviewed by Akash

Year 6