Across the Divide

In this book the narrator is a young girl called Olivia who lives with her Mum and her paternal grandparents in a military town in England and attends a school where she has close friends from a range of social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with different beliefs and opinions, which immediately introduces the reader to the concept and challenges of this. When Olivia wants to join the army cadets at school she argues with her mother who is a peace activist; her mother is then arrested during a peace protest and so Olivia is sent to stay on Lindisfarne with her estranged father for half term. It is here - through flash backs to Olivia's relationships with friends and her new friendship with an old-fashioned boy called William - that readers are actively encouraged to reflect on their own thoughts in relation to peace, conflict and friendship, considering both political and personal perspectives. Through her relationship with William we get a fascinating insight into the concept of conscientious objectors in the First World War from an individual and historical viewpoint; Olivia then makes comparisons to her modern-day situation and the reader is drawn into contrasting the two scenarios with much guidance from Olivia's own thought processes and reflections, which are very mature and thought-provoking. This includes comparing similarities and differences between World War I and more recent world conflicts such as Afghanistan. The aspect of travelling back in time, as Olivia meets with William in 1916, is one that will appeal to young readers as it has the effect of making history come alive and the characters involved will help to create both empathy and interest. The book covers a wide range of themes, many of which relate to growing up and being able to reflect on one's own understanding and actions and the impact these may have on others. This includes building relationships and the need for compromise and negotiation and shows how these skills can be used in the wider world; within this the subject of death is touched upon in a very sensitive manner, which will support the younger reader who may have experience of this. The contrasting settings of Lindisfarne (both past and present) and the military town again encourage the reader to reflect on how emotions and actions may be influenced by situation and time and also the value of having personal time to think. From a classroom perspective, this would make a wonderful class reader to encourage and support discussions for PSHE and one that I would actively encourage children to also read independently. The topics covered and the style of writing, not least reflecting on personal emotions, make this a book which would support young readers in understanding their own development, whilst enjoying the realistic and exciting story line. 305 pages / Ages: 9+ / Reviewed by Salliann Coleman,consultant

Suggested Reading Age 9+