about the book
Barely surviving in an Afghan cave, Aman and his mother are faced with the fact that they have to leave. They need to escape to England.
When Shadow, a loyal spaniel, shows up out of nowhere, it’s just what Aman needs to get through the horror of trying to escape from Afghanistan. But the three are held at a checkpoint, and Shadow runs away after being shot at by the police.
Aman and his mother escape—without Shadow.
Six years later, they are finally settling in as free citizens in England, when they’re denied asylum and imprisoned.
Aman’s only hope is his friend’s grandfather and the dream of finding his dog. After all, you never lose your shadow, right?
about the author
In Michael Morpurgo’s own words, he is “oldish, married with three children, and a grandfather six times over.”
He was born in 1943, under the last name of Bridge. His biological father, actor Tony Van Bridge, left when he was two. He and his brother took their adoptive father’s name so there would be fewer questions asked. Divorce was a source of great shame in those days.
Eventually, Michael studied English and French at London University, which led to ten years of teaching. One day while teaching, he read a story to the kids, but they were bored by the book he was reading. So, he decided to tell them a story he used to tell his kids—it was like a soap opera and they were so engaged with the story that he knew he had to tell stories for a living.
In 1976, he and his wife started the charity Farms For City Children (FFCC). Young children from inner city and urban areas spend a week, where they work actively and purposefully, on farms. This is his way of giving kids contact with the world around them that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Five of his books have been made into films, including War Horse. War Horse has also been adapted into a play where the horses are played by life-sized puppets.
Michael was the third Children’s Laureate, a position awarded once every two years to a children’s writer or illustrator to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field.
Michael and his wife live in Devon, on one of their three farms. He muck out sheds with children, feeds sheep, milks cows, and dreams up more stories.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Children’s Laureate
Author interview: New York State Reading Association
Author interview: The Big Issue
Author interview: The Guardian
Also by Michael Morpurgo:
Listen to the Moon. Feiwel and Friends. October 2015.
A Medal for Leroy. Feiwel and Friends. 2014.
Farm Boy. Scholastic. 2012.
An Elephant in the Garden. Feiwel and Friends. 2011.
I Believe in Unicorns. Candlewick Press. 2006.
Kensuke’s Kingdom. Scholastic. 2003.
Private Peaceful. Scholastic. 2003.
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