When Olive and her little brother Cliff are taken to the cinema as a treat by their older sister Sukie they find themselves in the midst of an air-raid, and Sukie, last seen by Olive talking to a young man, has vanished.

Writing: English year 6: Pupils should be taught to describe settings, characters and atmosphere, integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action. I really understand Olive's feelings when she's on the train and Esther takes Cliff's BEANO. I think she is a kind, considerate person who adores her brother Cliff. My favourite character is Esther because she stands up to the most fierce, and even if she was a bully, that's changed now! I think she is now Olive's best friend and is willing to fight for those who can't. She has made a huge difference to herself since the beginning of the story. She shows why people bully and why they stop, my answer is, they need love and for them to be kind. Esther's story shows no matter what you look like, it's what's on the inside that counts. In the year before the start of World War Two, 10,000 children fled Hitler’s Germany to the safety of the UK. They travelled by specially organised trains and boats. Their parents were not allowed to stay with them.

I would personally recommend this story a 4 out of 5. The illustrations just let me feel a bit disappointed but overall the plot was enthralling with an original storyline. For this guided reading task you will need to read chapter 16 – Hitler Will Send No Warning from Letters from the Lighthouse with your Year 5 / Year 6 class.

Carroll has written wonderful characters, a realistic plot where the kids can make significant contributions to the war effort without it being unrealistic, and added just enough of the hard stuff so as not to negate the horror of war or overburden kids with it either. The main theme of Letters from the Lighthouse is the importance of family, friendship, and loyalty in the face of adversity.Your KS2 children will have the opportunity to punctuate the text using colons and also identify when a colon has been used accurately.

Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments It's really good and definitely should be recommended for school book corners. Really interesting for people who like history and mystery. Once you get into it you can't stop reading. My favourite part was when she helped the boat in from France. And finding out more about how Cliff and Olive's father had died peacefully in the chair it was very interesting to know what had led up to that… he'd had a headache and then he'd died. Carroll has always had a passion for writing and loves researching historical settings for her books. She is inspired by the beauty of nature and often writes stories with a strong environmental message. Her work also often features strong female characters who show resilience in tough situations. I felt transported into World War II: the rushing when there was an air-raid siren, why some children wanted to be evacuated and why some children did not, living with rationing and experiencing different lifestyles once evacuated. Your children will be asked to step into the shoes of different characters and give statements from their perspective.

I enjoyed this book because it is set in the war and it gives you the feel of what it was like to be in it. My favourite character was Olive because she had a lot of courage and she did things for other people that needed help. She was always looking after her little brother Cliff even though it was tough. When I had read this book, it made me want to read lots more like it because it made you feel as if you were one of the characters. This book made me feel like I wanted to research the war and find out the little things that I did not realise about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes lighthouses and coded messages. This moving and memorable homage to E Nesbit's classic story is no ordinary children's book. A heart-wrenching and poignant tribute to 'all the boys and girls, 1914-18', it is a must-read for children and adults alike.