By Dan Smith (author)
Ebook Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply. £6.79
View All Editions (3)
July 2013 Book of the Month An exciting and thought-provoking World War II adventure for children aged 9-12. With shades of Michael Morpurgo, Michelle Magorian and Robert Westall’s classic The Machine Gunners the author carefully explores the moral dilemma of helping the enemy, and the pressures placed on family members left at home, far away from enemy lines.
A Piece of Passion from Barry Cunningham, Publisher
My uncle was a rear-gunner on a bomber in the war, and when he was shot down I hoped that someone would look after him. This is the choice facing our hero Peter, who finds out that being brave sometimes means doing what is most difficult. Loyalty to real values is even harder when war seems so black and white. Dan Smith’s courageous story is exciting, moving, and full of conflict. I think you’ll find yourself really CARING about what’s going to happen next.
Summer, 1941. For Peter, the war is a long way away, being fought by a faceless enemy, marching across places he''s never seen. Until the night it comes to him.
Read the full description
A German plane is shot down over the woods that his Dad looked after, before he went off to fight. Peter rushes to the crash site to find something exciting to keep. But what he finds instead is someone: a young and injured German airman.
The enemy. Here. And in trouble.
Suddenly, helping him seems like the right thing to do.
Growing up, Dan led three lives. In one he survived the day-to-day humdrum of boarding school, while in another he travelled the world, finding adventure in the padi-fields of Asia and the jungles of Brazil. But the third life he lived in a world of his own, making up stories . . . which is where some people say he still lives most of the time!
Now settled in Newcastle with his wife and two children, Dan writes stories to share with both adults and children – and with an interest in World War 2, a great-aunt who was a flak-gunner, and a grandfather who was an army captain during the war, is it any wonder that his first book for children is set during those uncertain days of 1941?
You have books published for adults and children. Do you find it easier or harder to write for children? I don’t think I find it easier or harder. Of course there are differences in the way I write for adults and children, but those differences aren’t very big. I approach stories as stories whoever I write them for. My adult books often have children in them, and my children’s books often have adults in them, so I just change the focus of who tells the story – the adults or the children.
How did you get your big break? It’s difficult to say whether I’ve had a big break or not. I think I’ve had a series of small breaks – which makes me sound like I should be in hospital. My first break, though, was finding a great agent who loves my writing. I spent a lot of time sending letters and sample chapters to different agents until I found just the right one. She always gives me good but brutally honest advice about my books, which is sometimes hard to listen to, but helps me get better and better at telling stories.
Any advice for budding authors? Read, read, read. And then read some more! I really believe that the more a person reads, the better they will understand how stories and characters work. The other important thing is to write. It might sound obvious, but if you sit about, waiting for inspiration and dreaming about being an author, then you’ll never be an author. Writing makes you an author so … get writing!
Where is your favourite place to write? I sit on a small sofa in the corner of the sitting room. It’s not very glamorous but it’s comfortable and it’s the brightest, warmest room in the house. I put my laptop on a cushion and perch it on my knees and, you know what? It’s just about the best place in the world.
Have you ever wanted to do anything other than write? When I was very young I wanted to be a judge. I have no idea why. Then I wanted to be a vet until I saw Star Wars at the ripe old age of seven. After that I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be Han Solo. I was never any of those things, though, and by the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Nothing else would have been good enough. Apart from, perhaps, being Han Solo.
You can only read three books for the rest of your life, what would they be? Well, if you asked me this on another day I might give you a completely different answer but today I’m going to say Lord of The Flies by William Golding because it’s a brilliant story about children who find themselves in a terrifying situation without any adults to help them, The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway because it’s the classic tale of man versus nature, and The Go-Between by LP Hartley because it’s a summery, dreamy tale about a shy child who is thrown into an adult world that he struggles to understand.
Do you visit your local library? Really, I like to own books, because they’re such lovely objects to hold and look at, but, yes, I do visit my local library. I find the library especially helpful when I’m researching a book of my own and I’m looking for information about something in particular. Also, both of my children love to borrow books and they take part in the Summer Reading Challenge every year.
Photo credit Mike Smith
the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
The Lion Above the Door
After the War From Auschwitz to Ambleside
Dan Smith masterfully portrays the life of Peter Dixon’s wartime adventure in this enthralling novel set in 1941 North East England.
12 year old Peter Dixon’s wartime has been tough to say the least, his dad is fighting in the war, he’s being bullied and to make matters worse, flirtatious and wealthy Mr Bennett is wooing his mother.
Out of the blue a luftwaffe aircraft crashes in the same field as him and his life complicates tenfold, especially when he and his new friend Kim discover young German airman Erik.
Can the unlikely trio defy all odds and not be caught or will brawny Trevor Ridley and his lackeys spoil things once more? And above all can they all get out not just alive but unscathed?
Dan Smith masterfully portrays the life of Peter Dixon’s wartime adventure in this enthralling novel set in 1941 North East England.... Read Full Review
My Friend the Enemy is a book that will instantly suck you in with its interesting and unexpected turns and twists of events that will catch you off guard.
Peter is a twelve year old boy who lives in North-East England during the blitz in the summer of 1941. Peter lives with his mam in a small village and out of nowhere an accident happens. That's how he meets Kim, a girl that seems eager to observe all the fighting going on. A German has escaped into their area but instead of a strong fearless Nazi soldier they find an injured young airman. He needs help but can they trust the enemy? Will Peter’s dad make it out of the war? Will they get caught?... Read Full Review
Dan Smith’s suspenseful book about World War Two is full of action, friendship and romance.
A twelve year old boy called Peter lived in the period of World War Two with his mam.
One day he was setting snares in the woods when he heard the buzzing sound of German planes coming in his direction. The plane crashed and Peter got into an accident.
Peter never expected to find a wounded airman. What will he do next? Will they be friends or will they be enemies?
Dan Smith’s suspenseful book about World War Two is full of action, friendship and romance with amazing plot twists that make you want to read more. This book is suitable for slightly older readers who like books with action.... Read Full Review
Summer, 1941. For Peter, the war is a long way away, being fought by a faceless enemy, marching across places he''s never seen.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed My Friend the Enemy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
My Friend the Enemy features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommended Children's eBooks, Warfare & Battles, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback, Ebook. £6.79. Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply..
My Friend the Enemy was written by Dan Smith and published by Chicken House
£6.79. Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply..
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.