Friend or Foe

by Michael Morpurgo

'There was nothing threatening or frightening about them, they were just two exhausted, pale-looking men with sad eyes and kind faces. These were the men who had bombed London and Plymouth and killed thousands. Yet one of them had saved his life.' It's the Second World War, and the Germans are bombing London. Everyone hates them, especially they killed his father. Now, because of the Blitz, David and his friend Tucky have been evacuated to the countryside, where they must live with strangers. Then one night they see a German plane crash on the moors. They feel they should hate the airmen insides, but can they just leave them to die?

Genres: Childrens, Historical Fiction, War, Historical, Fiction, Novels, World War II

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young David is evacuated from London to the countryside. During a night of bombing David and he’s friend Tucky discover a German bomber has crash landed in the moors, the pair are both morally conflicted if they should helping the airman.

It’s a very quick well written story, I liked how it challenges the reader into asking what would they do in the same situation.
A perfect for readers of all ages!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, entertaining and engaging story as usual from Michael Morpurgo - but he is not at his best here.

Well worth a read, but not in the same league as (for example) 'War Horse', 'Kensuke's Kingdom', 'All Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea'.

[Molly Start · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Morpurgo books as a kid and really enjoyed reading this again

[Hannah Lassey · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Friend or Foe" is about two boys evacuated from London in the second world war. Davey and Tucky are best friends and are taken in by the kind farmer Mr Reynolds and his wife Ann. Initially frightened to be so far away from home and at a different school they quickly settle in to country life. Davey's father has been killed fighting in the war before the book begins. Davey naturally hates the Germans, however when a German bomber crashes and one soldier saves Davey's life he feels obligated to help him and his friend in return. Davey and Tucky both begin to realise that even though the two soldiers are German and should be the enemy perhaps they can also be friends too.

This book dealt sensitively with moral issues associated with people's beliefs of right, wrong and loyalty. This book could be read alone by older, advanced readers and read as a class from year 5 upwards. This book would be a good cross-curricular tool and could tie in well with a history project concerning the Second World War and the life of evacuees. I think some children could initially be hesitant to read it as the first chapter doesn't immediately draw the reader in however it does become very compelling as the narrative advances. I think this book would in general appeal more to boys as the two main characters are boys but would also appeal to any boy or girl interested in history. It could also be used as inspiration for creative writing and discussions about morality. For instance Davey is forced to steal to help the Germans which raises the questions about what is right and wrong. Children could be asked to write about how they would feel being evacuated during the Second World War.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did this book with my Year 4 class on school experience and they loved it. I really enjoyed it too :) It's about two evacuees, David and Tucky, who are evacuated from London to the countryside during the war. While they think they are far from the reality of war, one night they come across an injured German soldier. Gun-flashes, the distant crump of bombing miles away soon brings the war to their doorstep and shatters their new-found peace. This book allowed children to develop their knowledge and understanding of World War 2.

[J. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book.

David and Tucky are great characters and I enjoyed reading this book as I was wondering what they would do next.

A good read.

Highly recommended.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friend or Foe is historical fiction, set in WW2. The story is centred around two boys, David and Tucky, who are evacuated from London to the Devon countryside where they are taken in by Mr and Mrs Reynolds. David and Tucky help out on the Reynold’s farm as well as start a new school where they are the only ‘townies’, but things get more exciting when they spot a plane crash over the moors. Whilst out looking for the crashed plane, the boys get in to trouble and David nearly drowns but is saved by the pilot of the plane, who turns out to be a German. David and Tucky are torn on what to do about this discovery, but decide to keep the knowledge of the two Germans camping out on the moor to themselves and help them, providing food, blankets and medicine for them in secret. One of the Germans is gravely injured and so asks for the boys to take him back to the farm and hand him over to the British forces so that he has a chance of survival, and the other German attempts to escape over the moor. Once the news of David and Tucky ‘arresting’ a German gets out, they are praised by the village and the story makes national news. Mr Reynolds finds out about the other German soldier and surprises the boys by being proud of them for helping, even though they gave his special bottle of whisky to them. The story ends with the boys growing up and returning to the Reynolds’ every summer.

The story takes place over eight chapters and is easily manageable for more competent KS2 readers due to the simpler sentence structures and choice of vocabulary, although the use of topic-specific vocabulary provides good learning and discussion opportunities. The book is also a good one to read aloud but does require some confidence and creativity due to the variety of characters (children, men and women) with different accents (London, West Country and German).

As the story is written from the viewpoint of children (even though it is in third person) it allows the children to connect with the story and they are able to imagine themselves in the position of David and Tucky. This can lead to interesting discussions when the children are asked to think about how they would feel if they were in the same situation as the characters – what would they do differently? How does a certain plot point make them feel? Etc.

English:
- Write diary entries from the point of view of a certain character, perhaps the Germans or the Reynolds
- Write an additional chapter which takes place in the time between David and Tucky leaving the farm at the end of the war and then later returning as adults
- Write a newspaper report about the boys bringing in the injured German pilot
- Write a nonchronological report on what life was like for children during the war

History:
- Many different aspects of life during the war are touched upon and could be used as a study point, e.g., evacuation: what was evacuation? Who was evacuated? Where did they go?
- Work out where the story fits on the timeline of WW2.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Germans are bombing London and every day people are dying in the Blitz. Everyone at school hates the Germans, especially David because they killed his father and caused him to be evacuated from his home in Islington to Devon in the country to live with strangers. So when a German soldier rescues David and asks him for help, he is faced with a dilemma: to help the enemy or not?
Friend or Foe would be suitable for class based reading in year 4 and 5, and independent reading in year 6. The theme of the story offers the opportunity for cross-curricular work in history when studying WW2, especially evacuees. A trip to the War museum to look at the different planes in the story could be a great trip for Literacy and History. Friend or Foe may not be a Childs choice of book to read, however once reading the children will love it and be eager to read on. Many activities can be created such as:
• Letter writing – Imagine you are David writing a letter home to your mum.
• Article writing – David and Tucky make the front page of the paper, write the article.
• Predicting
• Character Analysis
• Setting Description – Compare London to the Country.

[Annelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love books like this. I mean yes it's a short book for children BUT i love books with this message and it's good. Doesn't matter from which country you are, what skin color you have or, like here: if you're on different sides of a war. If you're both decent human being who still are capable of humanity and kindness and also trust then wonderful things can happen and you can work with your "enemy" until you suddenly realize- hey, I can't call him enemy anymore..
Like ann said when she looked at the German pilot: he's just a human being. Like you and me. Yes. We all are. And a simple fact like that you're english or german or whatever doesn't say anything about your personality and character.
And in a war you can't say this country is 100% good and that one is 100% bad. Bc every country that's in a war does horrible things and also of course not all Germans were on hitlers side.. and it's the individuals (from whatever country) that do the best- or the worst things..

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the shortest I’ve read is called “Friends or foe” by Michael Morpurgo. I must say Michael is an exceptional writer. I love reading a few of his books. This book is another perfect way for children and adults, who are interested in World War Two and love adventures. It shows how growing up is not as easy as children may think and how all decisions have consequences. It also (very cleverly) shows the humanity German soldiers and the boys' realisation of this, a situation that they didn't expect to happen in the boring countryside. The story is about two boys, David and Tucky were evacuated from London and sent to Devon in the countryside. One night changes for them, both boys are convinced they saw a German bomber come down on the moor but nobody believes them. Were there just seeing things? Or are patches of bog and fast flowing rivers, not the only dangers lurking out there? You can decide.

[17sikoraz213 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about two people called David and Tucky who are evacuated from London. One night, the sky has shadows of fun flashes and bombs start falling from above in the distance. What was once a peaceful city is now a noisy and interrupted place. Many years later after the war, the two men visit the city which was at war, now it is quiet and peaceful again. This book is gripping because it gives some information about what war was really like for the people who lived. However, this book could be improved by adding more information about how David and Tucky lived after the war and what it was like for them.

[Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short and sweet story, but very one dimensional.
The book centres around the relationship between two evacuees and two German bombers on opposite sides of the war. However, they don't actually meet until page 70 (of 122) which leaves little time to properly develop their relationship. Everything prior to that feels like filler.
Whilst it touches on some thought-provoking themes of comradery and morality and has a nice ending, there isn't enough substance to really develop an attachment to any of the characters and their relationships which is disappointing as I remembered this fondly from my childhood.

[Rabspur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book I have read of Michael Morpurgo, after reading War Horse, love his style of writing, the story focuses on two evacuees David and Tucky who left London during the Blitz and went to Devon to live during world war wwii, and built up a relationship with a German pilot who was shot down over the Moor. Brilliant read highly recommended.

[Keeley]

This book was really good and was based on olden days

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

[Iker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it because it was well explained and super interesting.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for school and it was a lovely story to read with lower key stage 2 children to think about WW2 and the upcoming VE Day celebrations.

[audr.westreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to summarise the main plot of this book, which is quite engrossing, I would say that these two boys, David and his good friend Tucky evacuate somewhere else to be safe from a war. They meet someone.. I am not going to say anything from here because this is the intriguing part of the book. Quite thin, finished it in a while, but although it isn’t full with pages, it is a good combination of colliding fiction and fact for once, and I love this book so much. I shall say, I am not really a big fan of Michael Morpugo, but I decided to read a different book for a change and discovered that he is a good writer. Just saying.


-A. W.

[Harriet Cornwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really worth a read

[Gabriella Carvell-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friend or Foe is a historical fiction novel about World War II, that grips the reader from the start. This book allows the reader to develop their knowledge and understanding of the second world war, through the description in the book.
David and Tucky have been evacuated from London, and are enjoying (as best as they can) their new life in the countryside. On night out of their bedroom window they watch as the skyline of the moor is lit with gun flashes and the distant rumbling of bombing miles away brings the memory back of war. It is when a German bomber plane crashes, that the boys David and Tucky feel they should hate the German soldiers inside. However, it is one of these German Soldiers that save David’s life. The two boys end up helping the German Soldiers and you follow the boys throughout their journey.

Michael Monpurgo has an extremely descriptive writing style which makes it very easy for the reader to picture what it was like during the war from a child’s view point. Scenery is described so you can almost envisage it as you are reading the book. This book gives great opportunities in art- drawing what David and Tucky saw out of their bedroom window as they watched the skyline of the moor lit up, or the walk David took with his mother through London on the way to the train to Devon.
This is a really good book to use with KS2 for a WWII topic. You could also use this book in English as there are a number of dilemma scenarios in this book. My favourite and possibly the most important - where the boys have the dilemma of whether or not to help the German soldiers they found on the moor. Get the class to have a debate- either split the class in two and have each side debating their argument or give each child the chance to put their own opinion across. With this you could use A, B, C (agree, build or challenge), getting the children to challenge courteously (this could be your learning objective).
The theming in this book opens opportunities for History such as looking into what it was like to be an evacuee - Didcot Railway Centre offers WWII experiences to schools.
Alongside this, there are a number literacy activities you can do with a KS2 class including letter writing - writing a letter home as David, describing how you are feeling and what you have seen. Article writing, David and Tucky make the front page of a paper- write the article. Character analysis- David, Tucky, Mr Roberts, the German Soldiers etc. And finally setting description- as I’ve already mentioned Monpurgo has such an extreme descriptive writing style it would be a great opportunity to give the children a chance to use this book to help them with writing their own description of a setting in WWII either in the countryside or in London.

[macey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dont know what to write in the children book reviews. The story is short and sweet: nice characters and nice descriptiona

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friend or Foe tells the story of David and Tucky, as they are evacuated to Exeter from Blitz torn London during the Second World War. We follow the two as they go through the heart rending process of being selected by their new carers, and then settling in to their new homes and schools. The experience is particularly difficult for David as he has already lost his father during the the war, and he is terrified of losing his mother too.
The peaceful world of rural Devon seems a million miles away from the volence of the war, but one day this all changes. A German bomber crashes and the boys stumble upon the debris, and the German Airmen. This is the enemy, the men who killed David's father. But one of these airmen also saves David's life. Do David and Tucky help the airmen, or do they hand them to the authorities?
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book appropriate for teacher led reading in year 5 and for independent readers of an accomplished level in years 5 and 6. It is also great to read as part of a history topic. Morpurgo's writing is empathetic and thought provoking, yet simple in style. A thoroughly enjoyable read and a page turner, and at 122 pages its not too daunting either. A great introduction to the work of Michael Morpurgo.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique Literacy Point:
It offers the argument that being a German soldier during the Second World War (any war, in fact) does make you an evil person. I also like the idea of asking the question: what happens when you save someone you hate?

The first thing that struck me was the publication date (1977!). I hadn't realised that Morpurgo had been writing for so long. It clearly took decades for him to become an established name. This made me want to read his books in chronoloigcal order to see if he improved as he went on or whether he sometimes writes stinkers as well as gems no matter what.

The style of writing was poor, I felt, but there are plenty of strong opportunities for role-play and research around the book related to WW2. I can imagine writing this as a play with my class

There seems to be, at the start, a real emotional detachment of children from adults. Instead, they are all just filling in the role as 'grown up' except for Mr. Reynolds, the farmer, who seems more real.

[Kevin O'Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Morpurgo is a world renowned children's author. Like many of his stories this tale is set in Britain during World War Two. Two boys, David and Tucky, leave London and move to the English countryside with their families to avoid the constant enemy bombings. When a German bomber crashes the two boys stumble upon the scene. While they feel that they should hate these men who survived the crash, they cannot. I think this book is well suited to upper KS2 children as the two boys in the story are roughly ten years old and year five and six children would be easily able to relate to them. It teaches children to form their own opinions and not to simply conform to the norm all the time. It promotes students' independent thinking.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early & promising effort by Michael Morpurgo from 1977...inspired by Nina Bawden's classic 'Carrie's War' & other childrens' writers trope of youth's fascination for strangers & ex-cathedra figures? - in this case of two Islington boys, evacuees David & Tucky, in 1939-40 Devon, two Luftwaffe bomber-crew with non-Nazi sentiments, & an exotic farming couple, the Reynolds, with rare patience & insight! A satisfactory outcome ensues - but only after some adventures for our two protagonists. A typically well-told tale from Morpurgo, who treats his boys as thinking, feeling individuals, & not as mere ciphers in short trousers & school caps!

[Amber Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friend or foe by Michael Morpurgo is a novel that depicts the life of two best friends during WW2. The boys, David and Tucky, are evacuated from London to a farm in Devon. Both boys relish the opportunity to discover a world that they have never experienced before. Both are put under pressure when a German bomber plane crashes in a bog near to the farm; not knowing whether to help the airmen or not encompasses he book which alludes to strong morals regarding friendship, tackling challenges and honesty. It is a lovely wholesome book that depicts the challenges faced by evacuee children in 1940's Britain.

[Amy Van Deventer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, we used this in Year 6 for English and History and Art. The story revolves predominantly around David and Tucky, they feel like the war is far away from their new existence in the country after being evacuated from London. Then, one night, the moor's horizon is illuminated by gunfire, and the far-off crunch of bombs breaks their recent tranquilly by bringing the battle back to them. The lads believe they should despise the airmen in the German aircraft after it crashes. David is nonetheless saved by one of them.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always a brilliant book, the thing I love about this writer is that he takes difficult situations and makes them easy for children to understand but enjoyable at the same time for any reader old or young. I started this last night before bed, but could not quite get through it, my eyes would just not stay open so had to finish the last 20 pages this morning.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

For book reviews and more, please visit my book blog, The Book Stop

Boring! A very unrealistic story line. There was no climax and it was very bland. I didn't expect much anyway. I was yawning throughout the whole story. The characters were annoying and unlikable. At least it wasn't the worst book i read. Overall, a short read that I won't be reading again.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kid clapped me at the end 😭