Kensuke Kingdom
By Michael Morpurgo
The story is about a boy with his mum and
dad and dog who decided to sail around the
world. Things were going well at first but
then his mum got stomach cramps. They
stopped at Australia and stayed with their
cousins. Back at sea, the boy was trying to
put a safety harness on his dog when he was
lost over bored. He was washed ashore on an
island. He thought he was alone with just the
gibbons.
One morning, he found food on a plate. He
knew then he was not alone. Eventually he
met Kensuke who had been a doctor in World
War II. They became friends and painted
pictures together. In the end, the boy was
rescued by his parents.
By Cormac Brogan
Billy the Kid
By Michael Morpurgo
This is my favourite Michael Morpurgo book. This book is about a man called
Billy who is eighty years of age. When Billy was a kid, he always wanted to play
for Chelsea reserves team (the best team in the world). In his first game he got
two amazing goals against Arsenal reserves. His second game should have
been easy but unexpectantly, they lost badly. When the season was over, the
newspapers were all predicting that by the end of next season, Billy would be
playing for England. On the front page of the papers were the words “Billy the
Kid”.
A couple of weeks later Billy’s dad died, Billy and all his family were very sad.
Soon after Billy’s brother decided he’d join the army, and one day Joe left. Billy
really didn’t want to leave his brother so he also joined the army. When Billy
was at war he was brought into camp and started a pretend FA CUP there.
(Even the guards watched and some played. When Billy got out of camp he
was driving an ambulance and suddenly he was hit by a mine, and rushed off
to hospital. When Billy was out of hospital and after the war was over Billy
went back to his house. But nobody was there they had all died in the war.
When he went down to the basement he heard the keys opening the
basement. “I live here” he told them. And they allowed him stay.
At first he stayed down in the basement, but then they needed the basement
so they built him a small cabin in the back garden. The two people had a kid
called Sam. Billy played football with Sam nearly every day ,at first they played
with a tennis ball. Billy took Sam to see his first football match, they went to
see Chelsea play, and Billy got Sam A Chelsea hat and scarf.
One day, Maddy (Sam’s mum) gave out to Billy for getting drunk in front of
Sam. Billy agreed to only take two drinks a day supervised by Molly. When Sam
was seventeen his was picked for Chelsea reserves. In one game that Sam was
playing in Billy was asked to go onto the field before the match started, and did
a bit of dribbling (well enough to make the crowd cheer). “Are you listing Joe?
Are you watching? Maybe you’re proud of me again now. I hope so”.
BY DAVID HOLLAND
The War of Jenkins Ear
Michael Morpurgo
Toby Jenkins goes to a boarding school in Britain. He hates
everything there until he meets the cook’s daughter. They
become close friends but her brother, on the other side of the
river, throws a rock at Toby’s ear, starting a war between
Toby’s school and the gang at the other side of the river.
As if things aren’t bad enough, a strange boy who claims he is
Jesus Christ reborn arrives at the school. His name is
Christopher and for some odd reason, he isn’t afraid of bullies
or teachers, not even Cruella, one of the meanest teachers in
the school. Toby doesn’t know if he should believe
Christopher, but after a while he decides to be on
Christopher’s side.
However, after a few crazy happenings, Toby is the “Peter”
and betrayes Christopher. Christopher leaves the school with
his head held high, and Toby regrets betraying Christopher for
a long time after.
By Emer Tobin.
Mr. Nobody’s Eyes
There was a boy called Harry. It was the time of
World War One. His dad died in war so now he has a
step dad. He was having a hard time at school. He
was walking home from school and he went into the
park. He heard the sound of a monkey. He went over
to see what it was he saw a man called Senior Blondi
with his monkey. Senior Blondi invited Harry to his
circus. He was going with his granny already.
His mammy was expecting a baby any day. When he
came back from the circus, his mammy had a baby
boy. They quickly forgot all about Harry. It was all
they talked about in his house. He went back to the
park and found the monkey on his own. He brought
him back to the bombed sight beside his house. He
went back the next day but he was gone. He went to
the church to pray when the monkey came running
up. They were going to go out the door but the
policemen were there so they went to the window
but they were there too. Senior Blandi was looking
then they got to the door and ran on to the passing
train. They left because they would be found. They
got off the train and went to Aunt Ivy’s house.
Harry’s stepdad rang to see if they were there and
they were. They went home with him.
By Lauren Fenlon
The wreck of Zanzibar
By Michael Morpurgo
Michael is a little boy and his great aunt Laura has just passed
away. All Michael’s family went out to bryher to her funeral and
after the funeral they went back to laura’s house. Michael’s uncle
showed everyone a box of parcels. He dipped in and started calling
names. Michael received laura’s diary, which he took upstairs.
Laura Perryman lived on bryher. She was fourteen and had a twin
brother called Billy. Her daily life was milking cows or looking for
wood on Rushy Bay .
The cows were important because the milk they produced brought in
money. She always wanted to row in the gig. Billy wanted to travel
the world and was not happy living in bryher. He and his father
argued a lot over this .
One day, a man called Joseph Hannibal .came home with Billy. He was
American, from the general lee in st. mary’s. One morning, Molly and
her calf were lying dead. Instead of Billy minding the cows, He went
off to sea with Joseph Hannibal.
All his family were unhappy about this. Laura was looking for wood
on Rushy bay when she saw a turtle on the beach and started to feed
it. She looked for some food for it.
Granny may was standing in front of her and suggested that the
turtle might like some shrimp. Granny may and Laura went to find
some. The turtle was happy when Granny may and Laura came back
with the shrimp. The turtle ate all the shrimp. Granny may and Laura
hid the turtle in the wet seaweed and went home for tea.
the next day, laura’ s faMily was about to leave bryher when the
chief asked Laura to row in the gig. her father let her go. She rowed
over to Rushy bay to a ship wreck. It was the boat that Billy was on.
She ran back home with Billy. The family were so happy and Billy also
brought home some cows.
So in the end, the family stayed at bryher. When the diary finished,
Laura asked for the fake turtle in the garden to be put on the green
so all the children in bryher could sit on it.
By Lisa Prendergast
Little Foxes
Michael Morpurgo
Billy Bunch was found by a police man as a baby. Soon Billy is put into
a foster home. But he was a sullen boy. Anyone that adopted him
always gave him back. Then Aunty May adopted him. She was very
strict and often threarened him. We learned who the real Billy is when
he wanders into a wilderness and starts to care for the animals there.
Day in day out, he would go to the wilderness. One day Billy’s orphaned
foxes went to his school. They were beginning to seek adventures but that
made them very vunerable to hunters,
The following day, they were killed. Billy found the oldest fox far away
from his den in the wilderness. Billy had a tough choice to make and
decided to bring the fox home with him. When he got home Aunty May
could smell the fox and soon saw him. Billy had another tough choice to
make it was either leave with the fox or let him leave alone. But soon
enough Billy was gone. He made his way for the countryside. When he
got there he heard hunters. Billy and the fox hid, and the land owner got
rid of them. They made their way onwards on the road! A little girl
cycling down the road was tricked by Billy into thinking the fox was a
dog.
Billy and the fox became very hungry and thirsty and managed to find a
farm. They stole some milk and hid there. They had walked on and
heard music. Then they saw a barge with a man playing music. Billy
became very good friends with the man and Billy and the fox lived there.
The man knew that the fox had to be wild again and scared him off.
Billy was sad but knew too. Soon the man brought Billy to his real
house where his wife lived and adopted him. Billy lived a good life.
By Mia Murphy
Michael Morpurgo
Interview Questions
1. Your books have an animal theme. What is your favourite
animal?
2. What prompted you to start writing?
3. Where do you get inspiration for the settings in your story?
4. Many of your characters experience life during war. Why is this
important to you?
5. What is your favourite book by another author?
6. What’s your favourite book that you wrote?
7. What’s the hardest part to writing a book?
8. You have had much success as the author of children’s books.
Do you plan on writing any adult books?
9. What did you do before you started writing books?
10.
Are any of your books from your own childhood
experience?
By Ciarán Byrne
Robin of
Sherwood
Michael Morpurgo
When Robin and his father are illegally hunting the
king’s deer, Robin’s father is captured. The only thing
Robin can do is run. While he’s hiding in a cave, he meets
a girl called Marion. She brings him to the outcasts, a
group of misfits living in Sherwood Forest. Since he now
has no mother or father, he is one of them.
Robin decides he can’t sit around; he must save his
father before he is executed. Amazingly he manages to
save his father from the clutches of the evil sheriff. But
the sheriff has taken out his father’s eyes. Even without
his eyes his father is a brilliant bowman and Robin asks
him to prepare the outcasts for rebellion. The outcasts
spend years training and gathering more people. During
this time Robin meets a brilliant swordsman and priest,
Tuck, an incredibly strong man who could wrestle a giant
with his bare hands, much and Little John a talented
blacksmith. The sheriff tries to outsmart the outcasts
many times but always fails. To celebrate their great
victory, and because they love each other, Robin and
Marion get married and have a son.
All the while the outcasts loot and plunder the wealthy
carridges that pass through Sherwood Forest to save up
for the true kings, King Richards, ransom as he has been
captured by the Duke of Austria. The outcasts are
furious with prince for he will not pay the ransom
because he wants to be the King of England. When the
outcasts have enough money for the ransom they go to
Austria to search for the king. When they find him he is
very weak but very grateful. The journey is long but when
they arrive the sheriff is terrified. He is hung but his
sister the abyss of kirkleigh seeks revenge. Meanwhile
King Richard asks Robin to come to London with him to
be his royal advisor. Robin leaves that very day with
Marion, Martin [his son], tuck, much and Little John.
But soon Marion gets tired of city life and goes back to
Sherwood with Martin. King Richard then asks robin if
he will come and help him take over Jerusalem. When
robin refuses to go King Richard is very angry. Robin
decides to go back to Sherwood with much, little john and
tuck.
On the way there Tuck gets a fever so an abyss with
healing powers helps she minds Tuck and gives them all
soup. But the soup was poisoned. Much hadn’t had any
soup so he was ok. When Robin was dying he shot an
arrow through the window and said where it landed he
would like to be buried with his friends and family. When
much buried his body beside Tuck and Little John an
acorn fell at his feet he planted it so he would never
forget where his friend lay.
By Morgan Kelly
PRIVATE PEACEFUL MICHAEL MORPURGO
The book starts by telling the reader about Charlie and Thomas
Peaceful and who they work for. When Tom went to school,
Charlie stood up for him. Big Joe is their older brother. He
never went to school. Instead he stayed at home with their
mother. Their mother was a kind woman. Their father died when
they were small. He got crushed by a tree in fords clove wood
[the nearest forest].Tom was playing near the trees and the
tree was falling. His father ran towards Tommy, shouting at
Tommy to get out of the way. But he was stuck to the ground
with fear. So the father lunged at him, pushing him out of the
falling tree’s path. Tommy and throwing him out of the way but
the father got crushed. They had no father since.
Molly was a friend of the boys. One day when Tom was in town,
he saw a band of marching military infantry. They inspired him
to join the army. As soon as he did, he was shipped out to
France. As they pushed on, they found themselves in countless
situations. Then as they were nearly there, Charlie got in a fight
with the general. Charlie was told he was being shot for
disobeying orders from the general. He spoke to Tommy a few
hours before he was going to be shot. He asked Tommy to make
sure his family and friends were safe and well. Then Tommy
left. He was upset. Then later Charlie was shot. He was buried
later in another camp.Tommo came to visit later. Tommo
survived the war and went home to keep his promise to Charlie.
By Eoghan Bolger.
The Dancing Bear
By Micheal Morpurgo
The characters in this story were Roxanne, Bruno,
Grandfather and Monsieur D’Arblay. There was a bear
who was born in a mountain. He was 11 when he came to
the village. There was a man who was a shepherd. He saw
the bear sometimes.
One day a film crew came to the village. They needed
children a bear and rats. One by one the children lined up.
The film crew picked out a few to be rats. The other
children had to dance and sing. They wanted a bear but
they never knew of a bear. The shepherd said I know of a
bear. He lives up in the mountain. So the shepherd went
and got the bear. The shepherd came back with the bear and
all the children gathered around the bear.
The next day they start practising. The dancing bear
had to sway to side to side. The practice was over that day
for the last time. The next day was the show. Roxanne was
getting the dancing bear but he was not moving. She
realised that he had died. After the bear died, no one came
to where he had died. No one could believe that he was
dead.
By Sinead Healy
The Butterfly Lion.
By Michael Morpurgo.
A young boy runs away from a boarding school in
Wiltshire.
He meets an old woman named Millie who tells
him a story of Bertie and the Butterfly Lion.When
living in Africa, Bertie rescued a white Lion cub,
but was forced to part with it when he went to
boarding school. The lion was then sold on to a
circus. Bertie promises to find the lion one day. At
boarding school, he sneaks away and befriends the
young Millie.
Later, when fighting in France in the First World
War, Bertie is reunited with the lion. He marries
Millie and brings the lion back to England, where
they live happily for many years. When the lion
died, Bertie and Millie carved a lion out of chalk in
the hillside in memorial, before Bertie died
himself.
After being told the story, Michael returns to
school.
By Myles Kehoe
War Horse
By Michael Morpurgo
This is a powerful story of truest friendships in the worst of wars from
the award-winning master storyteller Michael Murpurgo.
Albert’s dad was drunk when he went to the auction and bought a horse
called Joey. When Albert’s dad got home, his mam was wondering who it
was with the horse. When Albert’s dad went in the gate, his mam went
running out the door and gave out to his dad. However, when Albert’s
came out, he wanted to keep the horse. His mam was reluctant but after a
while, Albert’s convinced his mam to keep Joey.
Albert’s was teaching Joey all kinds of skills and tricks. A few days later,
his mam told his dad that the horse had to go and gave an example for it.
So his dad brought Joey to the war sales where you give horses or other
stuff to the army for war.
When Albert’s found out, he went running into the town but it was too
late, his dad had given the horse away. When Albert joined the army with
his friend few days after there was a gas bomb trough into the dugouts
and Albert’s friend died a few years later the war was ended and Albert’s
eyes got gas in them. When the geanrul saw a horse that was cripeld he a
disided that he would put it out of its misery but when Albert’s heard the
horse he just knew it was he’s so he said he has four white sokes on his
foot so two people wiped of the muck and he did so that was Joey and
when Albert’s got better he went home with Joey and when his mam and
dad saw him they ran out and huged him and cried And then they were a
happy family with Joey and never gave him away.
By Jack Kennedy Byrne
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips
Michael Morpurgo
One day Michael received a letter from his grandmother. It was her
diary from when she was a child. It was 1943 and Lilly lived with her
mom and grandfather as her dad was gone to war. Lilly had a cat called
Tips.
One day, they heard bad news. They had to move out of their village as
it would be used as an army base. There was a wire fence around the
village. Tips went missing, Lilly went under the wire to look for her. A
black solider named Adolphus or ‘Aide’ found her. They became great
friends.
Tips got out of the house and went missing again. Lilly cried for ages.
Soon after, they heard news that they could go home. Lilly went up to
her old room. It was damp. On the wall was written ‘Aide and Harry
were here looking for Tips: 10th of January. Welcome home Lilly’.
Years later, on a summer day, Lilly was walking on the beach and she
saw two black men looking out to sea. She knew straight away it was
Aide. He was standing with his son, Harry, who he had named after his
best friend, Harry, who had died there in training many years before.
Lilly went back to America with him and they got married. They were
going to New York on their honeymoon and then they would be moving
back to England.
By Eva O’Donnell