2022 British Book Award Children's Fiction Book of the Year
2022 Carnegie Medal (nominee)
A boy and a gorilla create an unbelievable bond in this powerful WWII tale for young readers, for fans of Alan Gratz and Michael Morpugo.
“A wonderful story of hurt, kindness, and what it means to be human in an inhumane world.” -The Times of London, Children's Book of the Year
In 1940, with his father off to war, Joseph is sent on a train out of his British town into the care of Mrs. F., a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. But he soon discovers her softer side when she takes him to the rundown city zoo and he learns she is the only one who ever checks in on it.
Many of the animals have escaped, been released, or have sadly starved . . . but not Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is strong and ferocious-and a danger to the whole city if a bomb should fall and damage the fence that keeps him in. But as Joseph struggles in his new school and starts to spend more time at the zoo, he finds, unexpectedly, Adonis becoming a loyal new friend.
From acclaimed author Phil Earle comes a touching historical fiction story of how a boy and a gorilla find redemption in each other amid the toughest of circumstances.
Genre: Children's Fiction
“A wonderful story of hurt, kindness, and what it means to be human in an inhumane world.” -The Times of London, Children's Book of the Year
In 1940, with his father off to war, Joseph is sent on a train out of his British town into the care of Mrs. F., a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. But he soon discovers her softer side when she takes him to the rundown city zoo and he learns she is the only one who ever checks in on it.
Many of the animals have escaped, been released, or have sadly starved . . . but not Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is strong and ferocious-and a danger to the whole city if a bomb should fall and damage the fence that keeps him in. But as Joseph struggles in his new school and starts to spend more time at the zoo, he finds, unexpectedly, Adonis becoming a loyal new friend.
From acclaimed author Phil Earle comes a touching historical fiction story of how a boy and a gorilla find redemption in each other amid the toughest of circumstances.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Praise for this book
"Utterly brilliant, original and so very, very moving... a triumph for kids' lit." - Sarah Crossan
"Phil Earle writes from the heart: a story about love and friendship and how animals can connect people in the darkest of times and allow them to heal." - Gill Lewis
"Complex, dark, intense and mysterious, When the Sky Falls is an astounding work of fiction. The characters have the knotty awkwardness of real people, and the whole book has that unfakeable feeling of Truth. Earle takes us to some very dark places in this novel, but at the end he brings us back to the light. For years now Earle has been one of our finest writers for young people and here he is at the height of his considerable powers." - Anthony McGowan
"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
"A beautiful and majestic piece of work... Manages to be raw and gentle, harrowing and uplifting, all while racing inexorably towards its unforgettable end. Wow. Children's literature at its best." - Jonathan Stroud
"Phil Earle writes from the heart: a story about love and friendship and how animals can connect people in the darkest of times and allow them to heal." - Gill Lewis
"Complex, dark, intense and mysterious, When the Sky Falls is an astounding work of fiction. The characters have the knotty awkwardness of real people, and the whole book has that unfakeable feeling of Truth. Earle takes us to some very dark places in this novel, but at the end he brings us back to the light. For years now Earle has been one of our finest writers for young people and here he is at the height of his considerable powers." - Anthony McGowan
"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
"A beautiful and majestic piece of work... Manages to be raw and gentle, harrowing and uplifting, all while racing inexorably towards its unforgettable end. Wow. Children's literature at its best." - Jonathan Stroud
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Phil Earle's When the Sky Falls