The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tipps

Notes:

Michael Morpurgo does his usual thorough job of presenting an adult's story through a child's eye view, in this case through Boowie's young eyes reading his Grandmother's diary. The themes of the story: the impending D-Day Landings with the corresponding build-up of tropps; the south-coast villagers forced to leave their homes and knowing that they might not return; the uncertainty and dangers of war; the sacrifice made by those left behind, and their corresponding generosity. All these are portrayed vividly and simply.

All the characters are sympathetically portrayed although filtered through a child's prejudices. It is only, for example, when Mrs Blumfeld the foreign supply teacher comes to their farm and persuades Ivy's grandfather to move from the place he's spent his life, that she changes in Ivy's eyes from being a teacher, ridiculed for her foreign accent and humorous name, to being a real human being with a rather tragic history.

Lily's cheerful loyalty is her greatest virtue. She sticks by Barry, who lost his father at Dunkirk, even when he's moody. “He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to look at me even. He did want me to stay though; I could tell. I sat down beside him and we said nothing to one another for a long time, which is what only true friends can do.” She can't bear to see her cat lost and goes looking for him in the now prohibited village despite her promise not to. When she feels guilty over her lack of enthusiasm at her Dad's leave, she promises herself to pray for him every night.