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Guests of War #1-3 omnibus
Guests of War Trilogy: The Sky is Falling / Looking at the Moon / The Lights Go On Again
Based on historical events, this moving fictional account of the adventures of two English children in a foreign land has become a favorite among Canadian children-this award-winning trilogy is now available in this omnibus edition.
This unforgettable trio of novels by award-winning author Kit Pearson is composed of The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again. The character at the heart of these stories is Norah Stoakes, a young English girl who is sent by her parents to Canada, along with her younger brother, during the Second World War. After five years pass, Norah is comfortable with her new life and country, but when the war ends her brother, Gavin, is reluctant to return to England and to parents he can barely remember.
This unforgettable trio of novels by award-winning author Kit Pearson is composed of The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again. The character at the heart of these stories is Norah Stoakes, a young English girl who is sent by her parents to Canada, along with her younger brother, during the Second World War. After five years pass, Norah is comfortable with her new life and country, but when the war ends her brother, Gavin, is reluctant to return to England and to parents he can barely remember.
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Kit Pearson
34 books282 followersKit Pearson spent her childhood between Edmonton Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia. As a high-school student, she returned to Vancouver to be educated at Crofton House School. She obtained a degree in English Literature at the University of Alberta, and spent several years following the degree doing odd jobs or travelling in Europe.
In 1975, she began her Library degree at the University of British Columbia and took her first jobs in that field in Ontario. She later obtained an M.A. at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature in Boston. Returning to Vancouver, she completed her first novel "The Daring Game" which was published by Penguin Books.
Pearson now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, a few blocks from Ross Bay Cemetery, one of the settings in Awake and Dreaming.
In 1975, she began her Library degree at the University of British Columbia and took her first jobs in that field in Ontario. She later obtained an M.A. at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature in Boston. Returning to Vancouver, she completed her first novel "The Daring Game" which was published by Penguin Books.
Pearson now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, a few blocks from Ross Bay Cemetery, one of the settings in Awake and Dreaming.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 13, 2020
I read this book when I was younger; it was a favourite. I decided during quarantine that I would reread a childhood favourite. I'm so glad that I did!
March 26, 2025
I first read this in junior high, and it's been one of my top fav books ever since. A great story about WWII from a British childhood point of view.
July 25, 2019
I loved this series as a ten year old, and twenty years later my appreciation has only deepened.
In following English war-evacuees Nora and Gavin's struggles integrating into wartime Canadian culture, Pearson masters the art of showing, rather than telling. The Sky is Falling is wonderful in depicting Nora's grief and the limits of her perspective...particularly when it comes to recognizing the equal grief and dislocation of her younger brother.
When I read Looking at the Moon as a preteen, I was angry at Nora for changing from her spiky preteen plane-obsessed self into a spiky almost-teen who was GASP! IN LOVE. Looking back, I'm impressed at how delicately Pearson modulates Nora's emotional evolution and her own difficulty in recognizing her attraction to an older boy. Pearson also makes clear that Nora's attraction need not end in marriage or even recognition from the boy, Andrew, in order to be meaningful to her growth as a person. Also, Andrew (like Gavin) is a sensitive portrait of masculinity that rejects violence as a source of strength.
The Lights Go On Again shifts the narrative focus to Gavin, who must choose whether he will stay in Canada or return to England once the war ends. Until the last chapter I didn't know what he would choose and I didn't know what future I wanted for him...and the wrenching choice suggests that the right path is often the one we can commit to. Also, I admire Gavin for being sensitive and recognizing that sensitivity is neither a weakness nor an excuse for weakness.
I LOVE YOU, KIT PEARSON! THANK YOU FOR ENRICHING MY CHILDHOOD...AND ADULTHOOD, TOO!
In following English war-evacuees Nora and Gavin's struggles integrating into wartime Canadian culture, Pearson masters the art of showing, rather than telling. The Sky is Falling is wonderful in depicting Nora's grief and the limits of her perspective...particularly when it comes to recognizing the equal grief and dislocation of her younger brother.
When I read Looking at the Moon as a preteen, I was angry at Nora for changing from her spiky preteen plane-obsessed self into a spiky almost-teen who was GASP! IN LOVE. Looking back, I'm impressed at how delicately Pearson modulates Nora's emotional evolution and her own difficulty in recognizing her attraction to an older boy. Pearson also makes clear that Nora's attraction need not end in marriage or even recognition from the boy, Andrew, in order to be meaningful to her growth as a person. Also, Andrew (like Gavin) is a sensitive portrait of masculinity that rejects violence as a source of strength.
The Lights Go On Again shifts the narrative focus to Gavin, who must choose whether he will stay in Canada or return to England once the war ends. Until the last chapter I didn't know what he would choose and I didn't know what future I wanted for him...and the wrenching choice suggests that the right path is often the one we can commit to. Also, I admire Gavin for being sensitive and recognizing that sensitivity is neither a weakness nor an excuse for weakness.
I LOVE YOU, KIT PEARSON! THANK YOU FOR ENRICHING MY CHILDHOOD...AND ADULTHOOD, TOO!
January 3, 2026
This is my third reread of this excellent childrens book.
I reread this trilogy and found just as wonderful the second time round. Told from a sister's and brother's point of view, the reader learns what it was like to be sent from home (England) to safety (Toronto) during WW2. Not easy for the children, parents or hosts of the war guests.
I reread this trilogy and found just as wonderful the second time round. Told from a sister's and brother's point of view, the reader learns what it was like to be sent from home (England) to safety (Toronto) during WW2. Not easy for the children, parents or hosts of the war guests.
May 25, 2021
I really liked it this! and the characters were so good! finally someone who isn't perfect and kinda rebellious, hahah
March 12, 2025
I loved this book so much it’s incredible is and was my comfort book has been since I was 10 I recently bought another copy because my first copy is so destroyed from constant use (and I am incredibly careful with my books ) The sky is falling is my absolute favourite of the trilogy with the lights go on again a close second.
Minor spoiler that’s not really a spoiler because it’s in the blurb but I’m warning you just in case
Looking at the moon is my least favourite but that is a personal preference when it comes to how romance is written
Overall 100/10 can not get enough of this book it’s interesting historically and with plot the characters are well written and not 2D and you get significant character development for everyone featured in the book I love it and would 100% recommend.
One final thing I would like to mention is I would suggest not reading looking at the moon until a little bit older than 10 simply because said 10 year old will cringe and go ICK very regularly
Minor spoiler that’s not really a spoiler because it’s in the blurb but I’m warning you just in case
Looking at the moon is my least favourite but that is a personal preference when it comes to how romance is written
Overall 100/10 can not get enough of this book it’s interesting historically and with plot the characters are well written and not 2D and you get significant character development for everyone featured in the book I love it and would 100% recommend.
One final thing I would like to mention is I would suggest not reading looking at the moon until a little bit older than 10 simply because said 10 year old will cringe and go ICK very regularly
February 14, 2025
4.5 stars for the series overall.
I read these books in elementary school, and every once in a while, I would think about them fondly. I decided to do a reread now over 20 years later to see how they hold up, and boy, do they hold up!!
Pearson does such a fantastic job with writing realistic flawed people. They feel real, and the environments feel lived in. It was easy to be transported back in time. My personal favorite of the three books is Looking at the Moon. I find Norah to be so relatable to my young self.
I read these books in elementary school, and every once in a while, I would think about them fondly. I decided to do a reread now over 20 years later to see how they hold up, and boy, do they hold up!!
Pearson does such a fantastic job with writing realistic flawed people. They feel real, and the environments feel lived in. It was easy to be transported back in time. My personal favorite of the three books is Looking at the Moon. I find Norah to be so relatable to my young self.
May 19, 2023
THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! I love Kit Pearson's books and she will always be my favourite. This is my favourite book I have ever read and I have read it five times already. I especially like "Looking At The Moon" because I can relate to Norah's experiences. I just fall in love with this book every time I read it. I would definitely recommend.
May 21, 2017
Reading this as an omnibus. Separate reviews will be posted to their individual books and linked back here.
Also just found out my copy is signed???? Surprises happen when you buy things used....https://twitter.com/KereesaReads/stat...
Review as an omnibus:
If you haven't read this one, rectify that immediately.
Review Links:
The Sky is Falling
Looking at the Moon
The Lights Go On Again
Also just found out my copy is signed???? Surprises happen when you buy things used....https://twitter.com/KereesaReads/stat...
Review as an omnibus:
If you haven't read this one, rectify that immediately.
Review Links:
The Sky is Falling
Looking at the Moon
The Lights Go On Again
September 10, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book, it was not boring, it didn't drone on about facts but it did include them. Historically accurate, has an even scale of bad and good things happening. Read the book! im pretty sure you wont regret it
July 20, 2017
My absolute faves when I was eleven.
February 18, 2021
The best book ever read
June 9, 2025
The first: eye-opening. The second: the throes of thirteen. The third: a new perspective and the end of war.
August 27, 2015
I loved this trilogy as a teenager. I stumbled on it again as an adult when I was finally clearing all of my things out of my parent’s basement. It was a nostalgia bomb so I picked it up to read it again.
Kit Pearson is one of my favourite authors. Her writing is clean and straightforward, despite her “simple” style she weaves emotionally complex stories that capture the reader. Pearson’s writing breaks down complicated emotional and topical stories in a way that makes them clear for their intended audience without dumbing it down.
Her descriptions appeal to all five senses to really draw the reader into her story and make it come alive. The historical setting of the book is VERY well done. Pearson obviously did her research on the lifestyle of the time, the physical geography and how Canada fit into World War 2. Details such as the titles of popular radio programs or popular comics of the time really add to its air of authenticity.
Guests of War is both a heartwarming and heart breaking trilogy. The reader follows Norah and Gavin, two children from England who have been sent to Canada for the duration of WW2.
Pearson navigates not only the trials and tribulations of young adulthood through her two characters but also the added stresses that war guests would have been under as they waited for telegrams and letters from home.
The plot is very much alive and constantly moving, the central conflicts are emotional ones. Norah and Gavin deal with the typical adolescent problems while also facing more complex ones. They live in Canada with their foster family for five years and while Norah, who was ten upon arriving, struggles to fit in and cannot shake her homesickness Gavin, who was five when he arrived, is able to settle in well but forgets what it was like to live in England. These conflicting viewpoints come to an head in the final book.
Norah and Gavin are two very different characters. The first two books are seen from Norah’s point of view. Norah, without an interior monologue, would be very hard to get to know. She is brave and proud but is prone to “dark moods” where she is taciturn and unpleasant. She is never able to shake off the feeling that she does not quite belong in Canada. She loves to explore and have adventures but her cold shoulder could give someone frost bite and she generally runs either hot or cold with very little in between. Still I greatly enjoyed her voice because it was so definitive and everything she felt was so acute.
Gavin, who gives the POV for book three, is very different from his sister. He does not have her tough resilience and is, in his words, “wishy-washy”. He spends a lot of the first two books as a background character, probably due to his young age, so that is is quite a shock when the third book is from his point of view. Gavin has completely assimilated into Canadian culture and does not remember England. He is more anxious than Norah and often waits for someone else to take charge of the situation. Though his book, to me, is a lot more emotional (due to the nature of the story) I didn’t enjoy it as much because I found his voice to be much weaker.
I did appreciate that the characters recognized their own flaws and strengths as well as the flaws and strengths in one another.
Absolutely. I have recommended this book to many people, especially those with an interest in historical fictions. I will say that reading it again as an adult I found Norah and Gavin to be more frustrating BUT I would still recommend it. I have recommended it to students as well as teachers and sometimes just to my friends!
Kit Pearson is one of my favourite authors. Her writing is clean and straightforward, despite her “simple” style she weaves emotionally complex stories that capture the reader. Pearson’s writing breaks down complicated emotional and topical stories in a way that makes them clear for their intended audience without dumbing it down.
Her descriptions appeal to all five senses to really draw the reader into her story and make it come alive. The historical setting of the book is VERY well done. Pearson obviously did her research on the lifestyle of the time, the physical geography and how Canada fit into World War 2. Details such as the titles of popular radio programs or popular comics of the time really add to its air of authenticity.
Guests of War is both a heartwarming and heart breaking trilogy. The reader follows Norah and Gavin, two children from England who have been sent to Canada for the duration of WW2.
Pearson navigates not only the trials and tribulations of young adulthood through her two characters but also the added stresses that war guests would have been under as they waited for telegrams and letters from home.
The plot is very much alive and constantly moving, the central conflicts are emotional ones. Norah and Gavin deal with the typical adolescent problems while also facing more complex ones. They live in Canada with their foster family for five years and while Norah, who was ten upon arriving, struggles to fit in and cannot shake her homesickness Gavin, who was five when he arrived, is able to settle in well but forgets what it was like to live in England. These conflicting viewpoints come to an head in the final book.
Norah and Gavin are two very different characters. The first two books are seen from Norah’s point of view. Norah, without an interior monologue, would be very hard to get to know. She is brave and proud but is prone to “dark moods” where she is taciturn and unpleasant. She is never able to shake off the feeling that she does not quite belong in Canada. She loves to explore and have adventures but her cold shoulder could give someone frost bite and she generally runs either hot or cold with very little in between. Still I greatly enjoyed her voice because it was so definitive and everything she felt was so acute.
Gavin, who gives the POV for book three, is very different from his sister. He does not have her tough resilience and is, in his words, “wishy-washy”. He spends a lot of the first two books as a background character, probably due to his young age, so that is is quite a shock when the third book is from his point of view. Gavin has completely assimilated into Canadian culture and does not remember England. He is more anxious than Norah and often waits for someone else to take charge of the situation. Though his book, to me, is a lot more emotional (due to the nature of the story) I didn’t enjoy it as much because I found his voice to be much weaker.
I did appreciate that the characters recognized their own flaws and strengths as well as the flaws and strengths in one another.
Absolutely. I have recommended this book to many people, especially those with an interest in historical fictions. I will say that reading it again as an adult I found Norah and Gavin to be more frustrating BUT I would still recommend it. I have recommended it to students as well as teachers and sometimes just to my friends!
May 9, 2013
This was my favourite series as a child and I read it many times growing up. I just recently picked it up and re-read it over a couple days, and it had the same wonderful feeling to it now as it did then. The stories of the life of these two children have a brilliant way of sticking in your head and seem so real and memorable. So of the anecdotes seem more real to me than memories of my own childhood. Maybe it's just because I read it some often and became so familiar with it, but really I've experienced this with much Kit Pearson's works, even when reading one the first time, that it is like spending a day with an old friend. Always an enjoyable read, quick moving and simple (it is a children's book after all) but beautiful and sad and just all around excellent.
September 13, 2013
A truly amazing story... One of my most favourite stories I have ever read... A historical fiction book that had an important message. It really stayed in my heart even after I finished reading it. Norah and Gavin Stokes are two children living in England during World War II. Her parents think living in England is gravely dangerous and sends them away to far away Canada. Norah finds out that living in Canada is challenging far more than she thought. As she experiences more things, she discovers a surprising responsibility. It is not only Norah who encounters problems. They travel through many adventures and they change a lot through the book. Near the end, her brother Gavin has to make the hardest decision in his life... I really recommend it to everyone, especially girls aged 10-14.
August 13, 2010
I could not put this book down at all it was so realistic but so sad! It gave me an idea for my own story.
How does Kit Pearson do that! She has this way of PULLING you into the books! It's amazing! I hope I can do that!
How does Kit Pearson do that! She has this way of PULLING you into the books! It's amazing! I hope I can do that!
August 12, 2009
Again something I read in the 6th grade. A "coming of age" story about a brother and sister from England during the WWII era who come to live in Canada to escape the war
April 27, 2025
my favorite book ever!
May 25, 2013
Amazing!
December 3, 2015
best series
February 1, 2016
A very heart touching story that moves you as if you are in it with Norah and little Gavin.
January 27, 2023
5⭐️i love this trilogy! i think i read it around grade 6 and i couldn’t stop reading it. I will probably read again!
April 26, 2017
Again, a book I loved as a kid.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews