I also want to mention the stunning artwork on the inside front and back covers, which fold out to almost double in size. Missing the heat of home in Malaya, her grandmother’s house in the North of England seems especially cold and grey.

Review: Nisha’s War – Book Craic

Nisha’s story of her life in Malaya is told in a series of flashbacks, mainly recorded in the journal she’s keeping as a form of therapy to process the traumatic wartime events she’s lived through. Scared, lonely and haunted by memories of the past, Nisha finds herself drawn to the Weeping Tree where she meets Twig, who tells Nisha she has to find three treasures and bring them to the tree before the full moon turns from gold to silver and all will be well. Loss, grief, displacement from home, friendship, love, empathy, understanding, hope, courage, race, kindness, acceptance … I could go on!Her Papa unfortunately didn’t get onto the same ship they were on, and you see the struggle that many people in WW2 must have gone through about not knowing where somebody you cared for was and if they were alive or not. From my own personal experience with this book, it taught me a lot about overcoming fears and taught me an underrated horrific event in history overlooked and forgotten about. A key figure in this story is Jamie, he is Nisha’s best friend and is seen to bring a comedic element in the midst of the trauma and PTSD Nisha faces especially towards the ocean and her fear of being taken by it like it had taken David Hill. Whilst Nisha faces prejudice due to her Anglo-Indian heritage, she also forms some wonderful friendships, especially with a young boy, Jamie, who she meets whilst on a visit to the nearby village.

Nisha’s War by Dan Smith – Get Kids into Books Nisha’s War by Dan Smith – Get Kids into Books

Blog tour: ‘You Can’t Let an Elephant Pull Santa’s Sleigh,’ by Patricia Cleveland-Peck, illustrated by DavidTazzyman. I also thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth’s backstory and the big plot twist that came with it, which I didn’t expect at all and I’m sure other readers didn’t. The glorious landscape is described in such vivid detail that you can tell Dan is writing from his own experiences.I’ve climbed a live volcano, trekked in the Sumatran jungle, and shot the rapids on an inner-tube from a logging truck.