A Medal for Leroy - Hardcover

Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best-loved writers for children, and has sold more than 35 million books around the world. He has written more than 150 novels and won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Whitbread Award and the Blue Peter Book Award, while several of his books have been adapted for stage and screen, including the global theatrical phenomenon War Horse. Michael was Children's Laureate from 2003 to 2005, and founded the charity Farms for City Children with his wife, Clare. He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

Morpurgo, author of War Horse (2007), returns with another middle-grade historical drama. Londoner Michael doesn’t know much about his grandfather Leroy, who died in WWI as one of the rare black members of the RAF. There is a mystery surrounding Leroy that even Michael’s mother cannot explain. Then he receives a belated gift—a framed photograph of Leroy. This photo, however, contains a secret that, for the first time ever, will tell the forgotten tale of this brave soldier. Here the narrative shifts to a letter that takes us back to WWI, and it’s a large chunk of pages, which does slow the book’s momentum. It’s a fine story, though, even if Leroy’s goodness is a bit too perfect to be believed. In fact, the entire book is squeaky-clean, which may make some eyes roll, even while being that warm, gentle read that others savor. Regardless, readers will be moved by Michael’s plan to reverse an old unfairness—because he was black, Leroy never got his medal, but that’s about to change. Grades 3-5. --Daniel Kraus