A Medal for Leroy

Product Information

All Michael has is his father’s medal and the company of Jasper, his father’s beloved dog – and it’s not nearly enough. Michael Foreman illustrated this book, the black and white illustration used in the book are simple and effective in line with the story.

A Medal for Leroy - Michael Morpurgo A Medal for Leroy - Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo is an award-winning author for War Horse, I however read another title and was quite disappointed.In a world that still seems divided by so many factors, it is worth looking at the words that Michael’s aunt, who served as a nurse during the First World War, wrote to Michael: “It was while I was with those poor wounded soldiers that I first understood, Michael, that when all’s said and done, it’s what we all want and need most: to love and to be loved.

A Medal for Leroy – HarperCollins Publishers UK

It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, boy or girl, as I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and reviewing it. Leroy’s story is inspired by the life of Walter Tull, son of a white English mother and a black father from Barbados.He was also black and when he volunteered for military service in World War I, black men did not get awarded medals. Morpurgo told Newsround: "People who fight for their country whatever their colour and have been recommended for a medal should get that medal.

A Medal for Leroy Teaching Resources - Michael Morpurgo A Medal for Leroy Teaching Resources - Michael Morpurgo

All these topics are important for children to learn about, we wouldn't be us if we did not know where we came from. I'd try asking her another time, but whenever I did, she'd look away, clam up, or simply change the subject—she was very good at changing the subject. Regarding his father, Michael knows only what his mother has told him: his father’s name was Roy, he was a Spitfire pilot, and he was killed in the war. A son and grandson of actors, Michael has acting in his blood and enjoys collaborating and performing live adaptations of his books at festivals, concerts and theatres. As Michael read her words, he discovered who his grandfather, his father, and his Auntie really were and how they were connected to each other.

Sometimes, on the anniversary of his death or on Remembrance Day perhaps, she'd become tearful, and bring out her photograph album to show me. The afterword really had me going, to hear about the injustice of so many valuable men that were willing to fight for their countries yet were denied due to their skin colour. The fighting of World War I officially ended in 1918 on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

A Medal for Leroy Activity Pack - Twinkl Michael Morpurgo A Medal for Leroy Activity Pack - Twinkl

Just 6 months after Michael's parents had been married, before he was born, his father was killed in action, fighting in World War 2. A Medal for Leroy was inspired by the true story of Walter Tull, the first Black British officer in the British army. She had a sister and they lived in a little cottage and they were the aunties of a little boy and his mother hated Jasper and their little gnomes in the garden. The visits were always the same, time after time, but one day, as Michael was coming out of school, he saw his mother waiting for him and knew something was wrong. I am sure that as we grow up, we do become more able to understand ourselves and other people as little better.A Medal for Leroy is based on the true story of Lieutenant Walter Tull, the only black officer to serve in the British army in WWI, though it only contains aspect of Tull's life, it is not a recounting. Yet, Michael’s fiction is also built on more personal foundations, as the theme of family secrets that underpin this powerful story can be traced back to the author’s own childhood. I like this book because it has authentic voices and tell a unique perspective of racism that 8th graders will likely not even consider. To mark the start of Black History Month, Michael talks about Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British Army and one of the first black footballers in the Football League.