Armistice Runner (Conkers)

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the Bury Grammar School Book Award – Older Readers Category judged by all Yr 5 – 8 students across 4 schools In my opinion, this book didn’t have a strong plot line and it all led up to a very anti-climactic ending. It was very simple in the sense that the structure and vocabulary was limited. The characters and emotional aspect between the girl and her grandma suffering from dementia is well-written. I feel this wasn’t really too historical, though the sentimental idea of the girl reading her great-grandfather’s diary at war was good, it was just a bit all over the place. In Armistice Runner the fictional Ernest Darby survives the war, but never runs the fells again, even though he returned without physical injury. No one in the family knows why. Until Lily finds his running logbooks. What she learns helps her both in her own race and helps her to cope with her grandmother’s failing memory. Read here the cycling story I read aloud to children across Leeds in the two weeks before the Tour de France. During an emotional visit to her gran’s house, Lily manages to connect with her gran over her interest in running and is pleasantly surprised to receive a box of running logs that once beloved to her great-great-grandfather, Ernest. Among the papers Lily discovers detailed diaries from Ernest’s time as a soldier in the First World War.

The detailed descriptions of the Cumbrian landscape ground the story and give it continuity and gravitas. The contrasting view from the trenches is constantly in the reader’s mind. Of the French countryside, Ernest writes in his diary ‘ It’s tame, no wilderness. Except for the bullets and shells, tanks and aeroplanes.’ Detailed descriptions of the landscape are central to the story, and I was reminded of Gill Lewis’s Sky Hawk, which uses the landscape of the North-west to equally powerful effect. The story concludes optimistically with a strong but implicit moral message about putting aside differences and showing kindness to others. In fact, all the way through there is much to develop empathy in the reader, making this a great book to share and discuss with children. The fact that a book with sports and war themes centres around a female character is also a plus point - too often these topics see males take centre stage. My favourite character is Captain Whitaker because he’s honest and kind. I thought it was a bit boring and nothing really happened. I also thought that the gran disappearing was a bit random and a bit out of place in the book as it wasn’t really an action book, so it was a bit weird. I also found it a bit simple and dull and they needed to build more on it. Whilst reading this book I didn’t just find out one new thing about World War One, it widened my whole knowledge about this key event in history. It was a real eye-opener to me because I really got a clear understanding of what it would have been like out on the front line, fighting for your country. I personally believe that the level of detail was what made it come to life even more for the reader. It really made me appreciate the sacrifices these young men made for the freedom we have today.

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Tom Palmer’s new book – Armistice Runner – is about a modern day runner who finds out from her grandmother, who is suffering from dementia, that her great-great-grandad was a trench runner during the last few days of the First World War.However, things keep preventing her from reading more - like the disappearance of her Grandma. Through both stories Palmer brilliantly brings together and draws parallels on the themes of family, friendship, rivalry, revenge and loss. The mirrored issues never seem forced - both stories are believable. Many children will identify with Lily's love of her sport, how annoying her little brother is and how worried she is about her grandma. At the same time they will be introduced to the horrors of trench warfare at the beginning of the twentieth century - without going over the top (pun not intended) Palmer describes the smell of a rotting flesh wound in a way that will make the reader physically recoil. For teachers looking for a story set in World War One, this book provides a good starting point to explore both the bigger picture of the war, as well as how individual lives were changed as a result. A powerful intergenerational tale that honours the forgotten running heroes of November 11th 1918 and examines the devastating Armistice Runner is a wonderful story to use in the classroom to explore the history of World War 1. The narrative is compelling and perfectly pitched to bring the big themes of war to young readers without being either too frightening or too reductive. By linking the historical aspect of the story to a modern day character in a familiar setting and emphasising the relatable, human aspects of one soldier’s experiences, Tom has skilfully crafted a way for young readers to connect with an event that could too easily seem a world away from them.” BOOK FOR TOPICS 2.11 Armistice Runner facts … Just read the first chapter of your story with two Year 9 boys, it has captured their imagination and they can’t wait until the next installment!” North Durham Academy 3.5 Over the Line Extras