Midwinter Burning

Product Information

A historical time-slip adventure for middle grade readers, from the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Apache and Buffalo Soldier.

Born and brought up in Kent, Tanya had no intention of becoming a writer until the idea for Waking Merlin popped into her head. "It came from nowhere. It was completely out of the blue." We then go to London on the eve of the Second World War and Operation Pied Piper, a voluntary evacuation of children three days before the declaration of war with Germany. Here we meet Alfie, another outsider with a life of rejection and bullying behind him.

Published

The negative legacy of the First World War is also skilfully brought into the story as a veteran of that conflict, Mr Moore, was damaged both physically and mentally by his experiences. Cruelly treated and shunned by both adults and children living near Alfie in London, Mr Moore is a living reminder of a time most want to forget. Alfie alone treats him with kindness and as he sits with him, the reader can see that Alfie is sensitive to the 'indistinct, insubstantial shadows' Mr Moore talks to, paving the way for his later experiences with Smidge. He even eventually makes a friend called Snidge, but his friend is a mystery with a different language and different clothing, Alfie doesn’t want to mention him to others just in case the paranoia of an upcoming war affects this friendship. Midwinter Burning is rich in historical detail and vividly captures landscapes and characters. As it builds to its tense and exciting climax, the reader is left with the glow of hope that both Alfie and Smidge are set for a better future than the one they might have had, saved by their friendship across time. A brilliant read!

minds and hearts and souls, uniting people when they found a victim. Someone different. Someone who didn't quite fit in. Someone to blame when things went wrong.’

Alfie and Bell’s relationship is one of the most poignant in the book. From Bell, he learns how to milk a cow, and he is given more freedom than he has ever experienced before.