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Synopsis

Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley

Kaninda is an ex-child soldier from East Africa, orphaned and living in London. When a child from a nearby estate is hit by a car he is drawn into an inter-estate conflict. The story combines current conflicts in London with real war in Africa.

 

This book is one of five books set during wartime and featured in the Imperial War Museum's fascinating exhibition called Once Upon A Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children. The exhibition delves into the pages of well-loved books, bringing stories of war dramatically to life. This new family-friendly exhibition at Imperial War Museum London takes a fresh and engaging look at five of the best-loved books written for children about conflict - War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall and Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley.

Through stunning life-size sets, intricate scale models and interactive exhibits, families are invited to enter the imaginary worlds of these five classic war stories. From the bleak landscape of no man's land in War Horse to the imposing tower blocks of London's gang warfare in Little Soldier, Once Upon A Wartime will take visitors on a journey through conflicts from the First World War to the present day. Pull up a chair in Hepzibah's kitchen as the evacuees would have done in Carrie's War, discover the schoolboys’ secret fortress from The Machine Gunners and wander around the cellar school, hidden under the destroyed streets of Warsaw in The Silver Sword. By immersing visitors in the stories, Once Upon A Wartime aims to illuminate the experience of war through a child’s eyes.

The exhibition explores the themes of loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity throughout the books then goes behind the scenes of each lead story, explaining the authors’ inspiration through interesting and sometimes unseen items including manuscripts, early sketches, interviews and photographs. Once Upon A Wartime also offers all-important historical context through expert interpretation and genuine examples of relevant objects including evacuee labels and letters, aircraft recognition cards and a tail fin from a German incendiary bomb.

In addition, there will be a children’s war literature festival at Imperial War Museum London during August 2011 where kids and grown-ups can really get under the covers of their favourite books during a series of author-led lectures, discussions and workshops.

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Reviews

Kaninda survives the brutal attack by government troops on his East African village that leaves his family dead. He joins the Kibu rebel army but is picked up by the Red Cross and 'rescued
from a refugee camp by a zealous religious group God
's Force. Finding himself on a housing estate in south London, he witnesses a different tribal warfare, one gang against another. This is a tautly written book, complex and hard-hitting, but immensely rewarding, which examines questions of loyalty, revenge, guilt, war, rights and ultimately freedom. (12+ years) (Kirkus UK)'

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About The Author

Bernard Ashley lives in Charlton, south east London, only a street or so from where he was born. He was educated at the Roan School, Blackheath and Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester. After National Service in the RAF Bernard trained to teach at Trent Park College of Education, specializing in Drama. He followed this with an Advanced Diploma at the Cambridge Institute and has recently been awarded honorary Doctorates in Education by the University of Greenwich and in letters by the University of Leicester. During his career as a teacher he worked in Kent, Hertfordshire, Newham and Greenwich, with thirty years of headships in the last three.

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