When the Sky Falls

Product Information

From this book, I learnt that and realised just how chaotic things were during World War Two. Having studied it, I knew it was pretty bad but the way the author described how bombs were exploding it made me see a new side to it and feel what people felt at the time. This book being set in WW2 made it very interesting seeing as you get to see what people had to regularly go through and how tough it is. The most exciting plot had to be Joseph being protected by Adonis the gorilla. This showed how not all big animals are wild, tough beasts but also caring and loving animals too. I would definitely recommend this to other people because it's so interesting and you get to see what happens in the war when you don’t get evacuated.

This masterful study in loss and redemption is a book strongly influenced by "Kes" and "The Machine Gunners" (I love the little knowing nod to the latter), but the style is all Earle's own, and it ends up sitting proudly by those two fore-runners, as an equal. It will make you weep more than once, and you're going to be biting your nails as it draws towards the climax, but ultimately it's a work that will make your heart sing. When The Sky Falls is a powerful take on relationships, friendships and finding yourself in a world gone mad. Expertly written by someone with a keen sense of history and a strong understanding of human vulnerabilities.

Phil Earle Press Reviews

First impressions: I knew going into this one that it had the potential for sadness. Not necessarily *only* because it had an animal on the cover. That in and of itself wouldn't mean it has to be sad (on principle). Once I knew that this was historical fiction set in England during the Second World War, I knew this one might be a heart-breaker. Again, war books don't always, always have to be sad tearjerkers. But the potential is almost always there. I wanted with all my heart for this NOT to be a sad book. I was okay with the potential for sadness, holding onto hope that even in wartime good things can happen... Oh wow! When the Sky Falls is the most emotional and exciting middle grade book that I have read this year! Take a moment to look at the front cover more closely. A fabulous illustration that gives you a peek at what lies inside that cover When the Sky Falls took into a part of WW2 that I haven't previously read about. We have read stories about life on the home front but this is a new angle looking at the struggles of a city zoo.

An extraordinary story with historical and family truth at its heart, that tells us as much about the present as the past. Deeply felt, movingly written, a remarkable achievement’ Michael Morpurgo Those are the four main characters and they're brilliant (I have to confess to loving Adonis, his quiet presence - you can feel it radiating from that cover). Thrown into a war torn city with these characters, Phil Earle shows us the harsh realities of wartime. The bombings, the night raids and the destruction from them, the endless disturbed nights sleep, the tiredness. The loss. With rations barely enough to sate their own hunger, Joseph, Syd and Mrs F are forced to forage, beg and barter for food for the zoo's remaining residents - camels, snakes, a couple of ponies, a pair of 'scarily thin wolves', and Adonis. The zoo, this is the glue that binds them. I liked the issues and themes dealt with in this book. Especially for a children's book, the issues were not sugar coated but presented for all age groups to understand which I liked. These issues could be easily understood through the character development and readability. The dyslexia representation was very good - it was interesting to see it through a child's perspective during the war and especially easy to feel Joseph's frustration as we know what he's talking about, but of course in the 1940's they didn’t. This further strengthened the emotion and understanding of themes in this book. The representation of war time was also great. Earle does a great job of bringing the past to light and keeping it accurate. But as well as revolving around the past this story also develops around the question ‘will they pull the trigger to kill Adonis?’. This question not only keeps a tense and exciting atmosphere but also reaches out to readers - I found myself questioning if I would do it - making it a more immersive experience. His grandmother, who is his caretaker, reaches a point where she can no longer handle Joseph's behavior. His new caretaker then is Mrs F. The direct and grumpy character of Mrs F. causes Joseph to strongly resist against her. I think Joseph was relatable and that made him more likeable; the way he struggled with his dyslexia and no one believed him evoked sympathy from the reader. The way his family was split up was also sad as his mother had seemingly suffered depression and his father was shot in the war. Although situations like this would have been common at the time, it is interesting to see how it affects Joseph and leads to him closing himself off from all others apart from Adonis. I loved seeing Joseph realise that Adonis thinks, feels and acts in an almost-human way yet he does not reject Joseph like (in his opinion) real people in his life.Chosen by our Guest Editor for May 2023, Jacqueline Wilson,as one of her must-reads- " This story about a fierce lonely boy and his bond with a huge gorilla called Adonis is exceptionally moving." That was part of a wider issue with the elements introduced as playing on Joseph's psyche never really cohering into a narrative. The dyslexia was underserved alongside the threads of Joseph's father, mother, and grandma. We didn't need resolution and catharsis on these threads but we did need a little development in each case if they were going to become a story rather than inert. I loved this story. The theme of loss running through it makes this a sad but incredibly uplifting book. The plot is fast-paced and you really care what happens to Joseph and Mrs F. I kept willing them to understand each other and meet in the middle. The Second World War feels like another character in the book, with the bombs that show no respect and Hitler as the ultimate bully, and bullies must never win. Small snippets of daily life add texture to the story, a milkman delivering milk to a house that no longer exists, kids playing on rubble.