The Skylarks' War: Winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award
Hilary McKay
Subjects
- Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
- History Time - blasts from the past
Average rating
Winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.
The Skylarks’ War is a beautiful story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One, from the award-winning Hilary McKay.
Clarry and her older brother Peter live for their summers in Cornwall, staying with their grandparents and running free with their charismatic cousin, Rupert. But normal life resumes each September – boarding school for Peter and Rupert, and a boring life for Clarry at home with her absent father, as the shadow of a terrible war looms ever closer.
When Rupert goes off to fight at the front, Clarry feels their skylark summers are finally slipping away from them. Can their family survive this fearful war?
‘This belongs among the classic of children’s literature . . . Funny, sad, warm, it is about growing up and finding what you love.’ – The Sunday Times, Children’s Book of the Week
Reviews
The writing style was very good, and so was the ending.
Judge Tulip Borneo 10.01.2025
I love books about the 1st and 2nd world wars, so this book was perfect for me.
Judge Lacey Postage-Stamp 16.08.2024
Yes, the history was accurate and it taught me some new things, I loved clary and Vanessa
Marshal Beany Sparrow 03.09.2023
This is one of the best books EVER! My favourite character is Clarry. I recommend that you read this book! Good if you're finding some books too easy, or you want to read books with smaller letters. Ideal for 10+
Mademoiselle Honeycomb Bookmark 27.07.2023
Star Reviewer
very good loved it very good adjectives in there!
Fairy Sunny Aardvark 25.07.2023
Really good!!
Fairy Cynthia Bookmark 06.01.2023
I like the best is Clarry, peter and Reupt. The book is about war beteen betian and garman.
Lady Esmerelda Elephant 23.08.2022
This was a great book! It was a fictional story and I liked the fact that it kept you wondering about what was happening next. This is one of my favourite books I've read and I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves drama and suspense.
Baroness Ariel Pinkerton 17.08.2022
Yet again, another great book from Hilary McKay! I love the personality and humbleness of the main character Clarry too. I would love to meet her in real life
Principal Pansy Buffalo 13.08.2022
I like the best is Clarry, peter and Reupt. The book is about war beteen betian and garman.
Professor Letizia Pineapple 08.08.2022
This book is really good because this book kind of explains the short parts of a 'war.' I liked Rupert because he was quite like me. From my feedback, it is obvious that I would DEFINITELY recommend it to someone else as this is a good book. Maybe a classic?
Anonymous 15.07.2022
A really emotive book.
Dame Beryl Toothpaste 11.06.2022
I liked it
Dame June Banana 30.08.2021
This book is okay but it tells the story over a long time and I didn't quite like how fast it went sometimes. I liked the beggining when they were all in cornwall and I could make sense of everything. But as the war came they were all seperated. Overall this was a good book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes storys set in the 1900s.
Professor Jewel Vesuvius 30.08.2021
I thought this book was a hive of emotions and events, as the Penrose family and many others had positive but sometimes tragic situations. I recommend this to ages 9 and up, but beware - if you are scared of war and war zones, I don’t recommend this.
Dame Blossom Heronimus 11.08.2021
This book was interesting. It is set in the First World War, and shows how hard life was then. My favourite character was Clarry because she wanted to be well educated. I recommend this book to ages 9-13.
Judge Morgana Sudoku 10.08.2021
A great book based in the times of the war
Empress Agnetha Quarantine 08.08.2021
war times mother dead
Anonymous 28.07.2021
I loved this book. Hilary McKay's characters are so well-drawn and realistic that by the end, they felt like friends I would miss. Clarry, the central character, shines with such kindness and goodness but isn't dull or irritating with it - she is smart, funny and an unwitting feminist. This might be quite long for a class read, but I know that lots of children would be swept up in it. It paints the era with accuracy and doesn't shy away from the horrors of the First World War, even though it's described with a light touch to be age-appropriate.
Anonymous 15.07.2021
It’s boring and drags on and on.
Fairy Babs Buffalo 21.12.2020
