William Mansfield

Billet Boy - Child's Edition William Mansfield

It is 1940 and the world is at war. Liverpool during the Blitz is a terrifying place to be as, night after night, German bombers swarm overhead like malevolent bees, destroying the valuable docks and forcing people deeper into the air-raid shelters. Meet Billy, a brave young boy who is living in this war-torn city with Mam, his little sister Lilly and, as Billy strongly suspects, a German spy! Shockingly, their home is targeted by the bombers, and Billy is sent away from his mother, evacuated to Lancaster with Lilly. Suddenly, apart from the rationing that makes him forever hungry, the war seems a world away from Billy's new life as he goes from billet to billet, making friends, discovering girls and scrumping his way through the orchards of Lancaster. Sometimes sad; often triumphant, this funny, endearing and inspiring true-life story takes the reader on an evocative journey to the past, celebrating the resilience and ingenuity of youth during wartime and beyond. This book is recommended for children aged 11+