Shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation.
My Brother Johnny addresses the contemporary moral issues about the nature of war by means of a compelling and sensitive narrative. Written by an Italian whose parents were refugees from Croatia. As you read it you’ll be drawn into your own conclusions about wars, past and present. With a strong anti-war sentiment it’s a story so grounded in reality that it makes the ending even more haunting. Some stories need to be written, and deserve to be read all over the world. This novel is one of these.
Very few titles read in the UK (a mere 3%) are books read in translation and even fewer are aimed at children. In France that figure is nearer 50%. It is vital that young people have the opportunity to read books fromas wide a range of countries and cultures as possible. The publisher of Letters from Alain is one such publisher and the Marsh Award in Translation selects the best of the books in translation and this is one.
Translated from Italian by Sian Williams who in her time has worked in publishing and now organises The Children’s Bookshow, an annual tour of children’s writers.
The other titles shortlisted for the Marsh Award were Tina's Web, Letters From Alain, When the Snow Fell, Message in a Bottle, and Toby Alone.
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Johnny, the local hero, has been flying bombing missions in the war Over There. When he suddenly returns home, broken, a shadow of his former self, people want to know the reason why.
Piece by piece, his story emerges through the eyes of his younger sister, Lin, who’s 14 (almost) and a bit of a punk. Bored with school and village life, her humdrum world is overturned when her brother sets up an anti-war protest in the local square that splits the community. Johnny’s challenge to the powers that be provokes a violent reaction whilst the war gets alarmingly closer to home…
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed My Brother Johnny and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-14 years old
My Brother Johnny features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Recommendations
My Brother Johnny is available in Paperback
My Brother Johnny was written by Francesco D'adamo and published by Aurora Metro Publications
My Brother Johnny has 128 pages
£6.29