Operation Doodlebug

LoveReading4Kids Says

November 2026 Book of the Month

This is the award-winning YA author’s first prose novel and her first venture into writing for a younger middle-grade audience, but what a triumph it is! It wears its meticulous research lightly but gives an authentic and atmospheric account of what life was like for families on the Home Front at this end of the war. Exhausted and traumatised by The Blitz and the privations of rationing, they now must face the terror of the VI bombs unpredictably arriving and causing massive destruction.

Our narrator, 12-year-old Stan and his friends Billy and Nellie, think they have been lucky to stay with their families in Croydon, but all that is about to change. To Stan’s horror his dad gives up his reserved occupation as a baker to ‘do his bit’ against Hitler, telling Stan he has to be brave and look after his mum.

After too many close calls, the children are evacuated to Norfolk. Stan takes with him a mysterious cannister they found on a bomb site. In the wake of the traumatic news that his father is missing believed killed after the D-Day landings, the discovery that the canister contains POW letters, including one he believes is from a soldier in his dad’s platoon, sends Stan and his loyal friends on a hopeful quest to find the soldiers family and better news about his dad.

This is a story enhanced by the atmospheric illustrations, full of drama and great characters, both adult and child, who engage us fully in their lives and the issues they are going through. We feel every moment of Stan’s fear and desperation to do the right thing, the pain of Nellie’s separation from her beloved pet and her shame at not being able to read and the determination of the indomitable Billy not to let anyone get away with bullying him because of his size. Together, they show what true friendship means, putting differences aside and supporting each other through thick and thin.

Whilst being age appropriate, this is a book which does not shy away from the reality of grief and loss but also gives a nuanced and sensitive portrayal of illiteracy and of living with dwarfism. In Billy we have a fully three-dimensional character who is not defined by his disability nor an object of pity.

This is writing of real quality that would read aloud beautifully and lend itself to lots of discussion and prompt further investigation of these little-known aspects of WW2, making it a perfect accompaniment for topic work. It will also be devoured with relish by any child who enjoys a fast paced adventure, wartime stories or learning about history and so would be perfect for fans of Shrapnel Boys or When The Sky Falls.

This enthralling book really has all the makings of a modern classic, up there with the likes of Carrie’s War and Goodnight Mr Tom.

Reviewed by Joy Court
Joy Court is co – founder of All Around Reading, having previously managed the Schools Library Service in Coventry, where she established the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards and…
More reviews by Joy Court

About Operation Doodlebug

From multi-award-winning author Tia Fisher comes an unforgettable wartime story of friendship, courage, and one boy's heart-wrenching quest for the truth. Perfect for fans of Phil Earle and Michael Morpurgo.

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