Jack can't wait for the school trip to the D-Day landing beaches. It's his chance to learn more about the war heroes he has always admired - brave men like his dad, who is a Reserve soldier. But when his dad is called up to action and things at home spiral out of control, everything Jack believes about the war is thrown into question. Finding comfort only in the presence of his loyal dog, Finn, Jack is drawn to the heart-wrenching true story of one particular D-Day paratrooper. On 6 June 1944, Emile Corteil parachuted into France with his dog, Glen - and Jack is determined to discover their fate...
D-Day Dog is a book which had been on my radar for quite a while after reading Tom Palmer's first war novel, Armistice Runner last year. However, it wasn't until a colleague recommended it to me that I finally decided to pick it up off the bookshelf and get stuck in.
Jack is in Year 6 and loves the war, he is fascinated by the facts, considers the soldiers who fight heroes and is ecstatic when his father, a Reserve solider, announces that he has been called up to serve in Afghanistan. But when researching D-Day at school, ahead of their trip to Normandy, Jack discovers the fate of parachuting dog Glen who served alongside Corteil in WWII. His discovery forces him to contemplate what he would have done in that situation and unable to consider doing that to his own dog, Finn, Jack comes to the conclusion that war is no longer something to glorify, but horrific and stupid - something he doesn't want to be part of.
The trip to the D-Day beaches though must still go ahead, and as Jack tries to retreat from the truth of war, the facts are continually fired at him, forcing him to see the bravery and sacrifice that the soldiers made to ensure others survived.
Just as he did with Armistice Runner Palmer has created a fantastically poignant blend of modern and old, as he tells the tale of Jack and Finn intertwined with the real story of WWII paratrooper Emile Corteil and his own dog. The relationship between Jack and Finn is realistically created throughout the book and will resonate with any pet-owner as Jack compares their relationship to the events of the past. Equally well-crafted is the dilemma that Jack's family face when his dad is called to war and this acts as a poignant reminder that, despite the sacrifices of so many, the sacrifice still continues for so many British soldiers.
This is a brilliant addition to the classroom bookshelf and raises great questions about war and its continued presence in our lives, as well as including relevant facts about the D-Day landings. The links between modern-day and the past help to craft a story which children can relate to and helps them begin to understand the enormity of what happened on 6th June 1944.
A touching look at sacrifice, friendship and war.
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