Respect

I personally like the book because it discusses war which I find very interesting.

Suggested Reading Age 11+

I think it is fantastic that Walter Tull's story has been written about for young people, he really was an inspiring man. I am glad that more books for struggling readers are telling true stories and I enjoyed learning about Walter's. My first point is that this book is printed on dyslexia friendly paper which is fantastic. I believe all books should be as it really does make a difference. Michaela Morgan asks the reader a lot of questions and talks directly to them in order to make them think about the story and not just read it. She asks all the right questions but does occasionally come across as quite patronizing in a couple of them. It's impossible not to learn something from this book, whether it's about the 18-1900s, the first world war or something more personal about Walter Tull's life. There are lists of facts within the story that are laid out in a clear, simple way that are easy to understand. This may however be too much for some readers as the story of Walter's life is already full of many twists and turns for them to tackle. The mix of pictures and illustrations in the book is very well done. The illustrations are simple yet perfect and the real life pictures remind the reader that Walter's story is in fact true. They are also spaced out well to give struggling readers a break from reading and a chance to discuss the story with whomever they may be reading with. (if this is the case) The language used throughout the book is very clear and easy to read. There are enough challenging words for young or struggling readers to keep it interesting and stop them whizzing through the book too quickly. Keeping struggling readers interested in a book can be very difficult and Michaela Morgan tackles this by using suspense at the end of some of the chapters. This works well and the fact that it is not at the end of every chapter can be a relief to struggling readers who then don't feel like they have to keep reading. There is a clear, easy to follow structure to this book, but where I had a real issue was placing a suggested age. With the character being told to 'get back to your jungle, darkie!' and people drowning in mud and being shot at, I originally would have placed the suggested age (interest level) at perhaps 12+. But with the sometimes patronizing approach, I felt it would be suitable to younger readers. All in all, this book is interesting but perhaps a bit confusing as to who it is aimed at and too many things going on for struggling readers to keep track of. 72 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Kate Kenward, librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+