Letters from the Lighthouse: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian

I was hooked after reading the first chapter and I just couldn't stop reading! My favourite character was Olive because she is caring and protective for her brother. My second - favourite character is Esther because, although she is mean, she has a reason to behave in this way and I like that in the end, she tells Olive her past and she changes. I wouldn't recommend this book for young children; probably 10+ as there is the war side of this story. All in all, this is a great read!

I thought it really makes you want to read more. I really recommend it. I JUST LOVE IT!

Superb storyline, twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Historical information helps to understand what life was like for ww2 evacuees. The lenght of the story helped to keep me captivated.

This is a lovely story, with many twists and turns, told from the point of view of an evacuee and her younger brother.
After a bombing incident, a member of the family is missing but there is no time to investigate as the children are evacuated to the coast to stay with a family friend.
They are made welcome but feel that things are being kept from them, they are surrounded by secrets and are desperate to find answers.
The book has a good pace and it is easy to become invested in the characters as you share their journey to the truth.

Amazing! I absolutely loved it, I couldn't stop reading it. Such an amazing author I've read 2 of her books (Letters from the lighthouse and The Tale of Truthwater Lake)

Emma Carroll makes links to local places and creates an instantly likeable character in Olive. The horrors of WW2 are brought to life in an engaging way for children and adults alike.

A good historical tale showing the feelings of both evacuees and refugees. Strong emotions throughout.
Perfect for classes studying World War 2 or those interested in history.
Strong female characters and a tale of friendship and family through difficult times.

really interesting and informative about life in WW2

I read this as it's on my school reading list and I really enjoyed it.

It was a really good book. It had mystery, danger, excitement and emotion. great read

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good pace and gives you a real feel of how the children who were evacuated must have felt. I plan on reading this with my class in September.

Great story set during WW2, exploring the experience of evacuees with a mystery thrown in. Added dimension of kinder transport child's perspective. I would recommend this book.

It was an interesting book. I liked the character Olive the most. I liked the book because it was cool how they lived in a lighthouse. I would recommend this book to others.

I really like this book because you feel like you’re in the moment and that it is about history and also friendship!

A perfect mix of fiction and facts, this book will stay in your heart forever.

This book is all about a young girl who has to solve the mystery of Queenie and her sister, Sukie whilst fleeing the second world war with her brother Cliff.
The book in three words: Thrilling, heartfelt, love.

Amazing book, couldn't put it down as needed to keep reading the next chapters. I like the main character the best. She is brave and heroic and won't stop until she gets the answers she needs.

i liked olive.
i would recommend this to someone who likes would war 2

About war

I liked the code breaking in this book because it read out a secret message which was really important. I enjoyed this book a lot, especially how the main character always thought of her brother and her sister.

My favourite character being olive I simply LOVE this book

Best book ever!?

A bomb are terrible a chance encounter,her mothers coat just sad.

I found the book really intriguing - I felt that Cliff was unnecessarily shallow as a character though. The story is essentially about Oliver and her quest to find out what happened to Sukie.
The big surprise was her mum's involvement.
I wasn't aware of the arrival of Jewish people in clandestine boats - it was a poignant reminder of the current plight of refugees, having to cross the Channel on inadequate vessels. I could really see how this book could bring up lots of discussions about current issues and how the native population reacted to the refugees. Interesting that even then, the refugees had to move on to other places.

I loved this book as it taught me things about World War 2 but it also had a good storyline. My favourite character was Cliff as he is a bit like my little brother.

Outstanding book! So accessible for Year 5 & 6. Great character development. You really connect with the issues faced by the main character and her family and friends throughout the book. The story explores so many aspects of ww2 in such a child friendly way. From evacuation to kinder transport…it’s an emotional but heartwarming story. A must read when studying WW2.

I liked Olive best as she persevered through the war without Sukie which meant she had to look after everyone while she was gone. It interested me because I like sad books and this one was quite sad so I would recommend it to someone who can cope with sadness.

It was emotionally written
I would recommend it to anyone between the ages of six and fifteen

I really liked the characters , especially olive because she solve a code and you find out another character is someones penpal

This is a fantastic book, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and would highly recommend to others. I will use this book in Year 6 as part of our WW2 topic. Very emotive story and likeable characters, full of twists and turns and exciting moments. Themes of loss, love, war, refugees, segregation, death and family run through this novel. An excellent insight into being evacuated and some of the horrors that refugees from Europe faced during the war.