Letters from the Lighthouse: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian: 1

Product Information

Letters from the Lighthouse is a book by Emma Carrol. The book is set in February 1941 in London and Devon during WW2. The main characters are: Olive, Sukie, Cliff and Ephriham.

With a rich cast of village characters and a theme of prejudice and acceptance, it brings history close to us, Sunday Times Summer Reading After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he's not used to company and he certainly doesn't want any evacuees. In this book, there were not a lot of illustrations but the ones there were, were thorough and detailed to help visualise the story.Carroll was born in Oxfordshire, England, and lives in Dorset with her family. She is a graduate of the University of East Anglia and earned her master’s degree from Bath Spa University. Before becoming an author full-time she worked as a digital copywriter, teacher, and librarian. Bombing and subsequent hospitalisation feature in the first few chapters. These paint a grim picture of the war, but remain suitable for younger children and should not cause any problems for your class.

Carroll has always had a passion for writing and loves researching historical settings for her books. She is inspired by the beauty of nature and often writes stories with a strong environmental message. Her work also often features strong female characters who show resilience in tough situations. I already know a lot about World War 2 but it made me want to learn more about the people in the boats. I found this book full of emotions. I laughed, cried and felt anxious much of the time. My favourite character is Olive because she is adventurous and good at breaking codes. I also found the book very realistic because it is set in World War II and this book has made me hungry for more information.

Curriculum

This book is about a brother and sister, Cliff and Olive, who are evacuated from London to Budmouth Point during the Second World War. Their older sister Sukie is missing and no one knows if she's still alive. Why was Sukie dressed up like her mother when she disappeared? It's really good and definitely should be recommended for school book corners. Really interesting for people who like history and mystery. Once you get into it you can't stop reading. My favourite part was when she helped the boat in from France. And finding out more about how Cliff and Olive's father had died peacefully in the chair it was very interesting to know what had led up to that… he'd had a headache and then he'd died. A beautifully written story about bravery, compassion, understanding, and having the strength to fight for what you believe in. ~ Shelley Fallows

Emma Carroll is said to be the queen of middle grade historical fiction. One book down and a handful more to go, and I���m already agreeing with this statement! The book revolves around Olive’s persistent efforts to solve the mystery of why her sister has disappeared and piece together the clues to find her. Why is it a good book to study in KS2? Another child asked me if I could message Emma Carroll and ask her to make the book into a film. Themes What a great little book. Carroll captures the reader's interest right from the beginning and maintains it throughout the book. There are plenty of 'sub' storylines that run throughout the book, creating questions as you read. Why is Esther how she is? Who is Mrs Arby? Why is Queenie the way she is? Why are we not allowed to find out what is in Ephraim's cupboards or the top floor, and finally the big question- Where is Sukie and what does the note mean? Carroll takes the readers on an emotional 'treasure hunt', encouraging us to empathise with Olive as well as gaining an understanding of what it might have been like to live as an evacuee during the war. I couldn't put the book down, and I think it would be an excellent read for upper KS2 children. I adored how the chapter names had relevance to the war. Although it is fiction, the book contains a lot of historical contexts and this could be a powerful teaching tool to use across the curriculum. Lovereading4kids are big fans of Emma’s books. Her stories continue to delight and move me, and Letters from the Lighthouse does not disappoint at all.Letters from the Lighthouse starts off with relatively few characters, but the number increases steadily as the book progresses, resulting in quite a few by the end. Each character feels necessary, and it’s clear that Emma Carroll has put a lot of thought into what each one can bring to the story. This asymmetric character structure gives the story room to delve into the deep-rooted prejudices often faced by refugees, as seen through the eyes of open-minded children. By shining a spotlight on supplementary characters’ preconceptions and showing their progression towards change and acceptance, my class were able to connect with the injustices faced by refugees, both in the past and the present, on a far deeper level. It’s 1941 and the Second World War rages on longer than anyone anticipated. Reeling from the death of their father and the disappearance of their sister Sukie, Olive and her brother are evacuated to the coast of Devon. After discovering a strangely coded message that she’s certain has something to do with Sukie’s disappearance, Olive embarks on a dangerous adventure as she’s determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Emma Carroll has a wonderful takent for bringing historic events to life for today’s young readers and with Letters from the Lighthouse continues to create an enthralling, thrilling read, whilst introducing situations and characters that are still relevant in our world today.