The Day the World Stopped Turning

by Michael Morpurgo

Overview

Michael Morpurgo's The Day the World Stopped Turning is a middle-grade novel about an extraordinary boy who sees the world differently.

In the unique landscape of the Camargue (France) during World War II, Lorenzo lives among the salt flats and the flamingos. There are lots of things he doesn't understand–but he does know how to heal animals, how to talk to them; the flamingos especially. He loves routine, and music too: and every week he goes to market with his mother. It’s there he meets Kezia, a Roma girl, who helps her parents run their carousel–and who shows him how to ride the wooden horse as the music plays.

But then the German soldiers come, with their guns. Everything is threatened, everything is falling apart: the carousel, Kezia and her family, even Lorenzo’s beloved flamingos. Yet there are kind people even among soldiers, and there is always hope. . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250107084
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	07/09/2019
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Sir Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s greatest living authors for children. His work spans 40 years and a career that has seen the publication of over 150 books for children, including Private Peaceful, War Horse and Listen to the Moon, with global sales of over 35 million copies. Morpurgo is a true champion of children and young people’s culture, creativity and their right to read and enjoy stories, and is currently President of Booktrust (UK). He was Britain's children’s laureate from 2003 to 2005. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature and charity in 2018. He lives in the UK with his family.
Michael Morpurgo OBE, is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children’s literature. He was the third Children’s Laureate. He has written over 120 books, and has been published in over 25 languages. His children’s novel War Horse has been adapted for stage where it became a smash-hit success in the UK, before transferring to Broadway and Toronto. War Horse has also been adapted for screen, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2012.

Editorial Reviews

"Morpurgo, the author of War Horse (2007), transports readers back in time and tells a beautifully layered story...an absorbing account of two children and their families during WWII. Most notable are the portrayal of Lorenzo, whose clear limitations pale next to his strengths, and the inclusion of a compassionate German soldier who helps the families when he can. A vivid, memorable story of children in wartime." — Booklist, starred review

"Children who know of the oppression and genocide of Jews during the Holocaust without knowing much about other targeted groups may be enlightened by Kezia's experiences as a Roma girl... The common debate about the intentions of individual Nazis is touched upon through the nuanced portrayal of a German officer who displays frequent kindness and the family’s measured reaction: “They may not all be wicked, but they do wicked things.” ... Lorenzo is sensitively portrayed, and he has great depth of character in spite of his limited speech." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An Eagle in the Snow:

"[A] stranger tells the story of two young soldiers... The British soldier was the most decorated private of the First World War. The German soldier just might have been Hitler himself. This work of historical fiction...will leave middle grade readers on the edge of their seats as they try to determine who the stranger is and how this random encounter during World War I could have altered history." —School Library Journal

"The casual tone of the story the stranger tells is in compellingly sharp contrast to the powerful questions it raises about duty and honor." —Booklist

Listen to the Moon:

"A poignant and life-affirming story from a master." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Morpurgo offers powerful descriptions of shipwreck, mass drowning, and devastation, as well as healing and growth.” —Publisher's Weekly

"Superbly written. . . . This is one of Morpurgo's best works to date; a first purchase for middle grade and teen collections." —School Library Journal

Shadow:

"Heart-rending and heart-affirming." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

07/01/2019

Gr 5–8—This story within a story begins in the 1980s with 18-year-old Englishman, Vincent, taking a wandering journey through France. He falls ill in the marshlands of Camargue and is rescued Lorenzo, a man with autism, who is out searching for lost or injured flamingos. Lorenzo takes Vincent back to his farmhouse where he and his friend, Kezia, nurse him slowly back to health. As he recovers, Kezia tells him the tale of how she and Lorenzo came to live alone on the farm. It is a tale that goes back to the early 1940s, when they were both children and Germany had invaded France. Kezia was a lonely girl, bullied and ostracized for her Roma heritage even as the other children enjoyed her family's magnificent carousel on the town square. Lorenzo is looked down on by many in the town for his autism which is characterized by echolalia (repeating words or phrases), difficulty regulating emotions, and fixation on animals–flamingos in particular. The friendship that develops between the two as children is beautifully innocent and genuine. Their story is one of wartime and loss, but also of compassion and hope. However, the device of looking back a bit at a time as present-day Kezia (an adult) tells the tale to Vincent (another adult) pulls readers from a moving tale and keeps them from being fully immersed. As a result, it takes much longer to become invested in the children's story. VERDICT A beautiful but slow-moving novel that will appeal most to patient, mature readers of historical fiction.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal