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The Great Escape
The Great Escape follows three pets, Buster, a lively Jack Russell, Tiger, a feisty Tom cat and Rose, a faithful Collie as they set of on the adventure of their lives across a country preparing for war.
Robert and Lucy Edwards love their pets more than anything; but the threat of the Second World War forces them to flee to Devon - leaving their animals behind. And as the air raid sirens sound over London, the frightened animals are sent to be put down.
Buster, Tiger and Rose make a daring escape but with danger at every turn, can the trio make it across the country as it prepares for battle - and cheat death for the second time?
Robert and Lucy Edwards love their pets more than anything; but the threat of the Second World War forces them to flee to Devon - leaving their animals behind. And as the air raid sirens sound over London, the frightened animals are sent to be put down.
Buster, Tiger and Rose make a daring escape but with danger at every turn, can the trio make it across the country as it prepares for battle - and cheat death for the second time?
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2012
7 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 26, 2016
A really good book if you are interested in war and dogs!
July 4, 2017
I thought this book was alright. The story was interesting but I didn't find it really engaging.
May 6, 2019
Great family friendly stories in which animals face challenges in their lives, allowing the reader to draw parallels and learn lessons on how to deal with situations not too dissimilar in their own lives as they grow up. Another great book by Megan Rix.
January 18, 2025
This book is amazing! I loved the plot of it, as I love books about history, or set in old times. I first discovered Megan rix when I was given one of her newer books, the hero pup. It was amazing, and the for Christmas I got some more of her books. Rix is deffo an author to read
May 15, 2019
really interesting, good and fontastic
January 28, 2023
homeward bound: the incredible journey (WWII edition)
March 21, 2024
NOT BAD
December 25, 2022
Cute kids' book :)
February 25, 2014
Robert Edwards, 12, and sister Lucy, 9, love their three pets - rambunctious Jack Russell terrier Buster, older, wiser sheepdog Rose, and Tiger, a marmalade cat who loves his creature comforts. But now, it is September 1939, war has been declared and London might be unsafe once it really gets under way. Mr. Edwards is a reconnaissance pilot for the RAF and Mrs. Edwards is a nurse on a floating hospital on the Thames. And so, the children are to be evacuated to their grandmother's in Devon. This is the farm where Rose used to herd sheep before the children's grandfather died suddenly and it is a place that Rose longs to return to.
But before Robert and Lucy travel to Devon, it is decided that neighbor Mrs. Harris will keep their pets for which she will receive some remuneration unbeknownst to her husband. Trouble is, Mr. Harris doesn't like animals and resents the money needed to feed and care for the pets when he could be spending it in the pub. And so, it is off to the animal shelter to have them put down behind his wife's back.
The line is long and before they get inside, the animals manage to escape from Mr. Harris and run away. Now that they are on their own, where to go? Rose seems to have an idea, but it is a long way home.
Believing their pets are safe and well cared for, Robert and Lucy arrive in Devon, only to be met by their grandmother's neighbors, the Fosters. Their grandmother hasn't been acting right lately, and the Fosters thought it would be better for Robert and Lucy to stay with them.
As the children settle in with the Fosters, Buster, Rose and Tiger begin their long trek across southern England in the direction of Devon. Learning to work as a team, they manage to find enough to eat most of the time, but as the weather gets colder, the trip becomes harder and harder. Along the way, each animal is caught and cared for by someone, until they decide it is time to rejoin their companions and resume their trip west.
Will the children and pets ever be safely and happily reunited?
The Great Escape is a heartwarming, exciting novel. It is an adventure story about courage, survival and loyalty. And not just the loyalty of pets to their owners, but of friends and family to each other and to their pets, as well.
The story reminded me somewhat of Robert Westall's book Blitzcat, about a black cat that goes looking for its true human, a pilot in the RAF during WW2. But unlike Blitzcat, The Great Escape alternates between the animal's journey, the children struggling to adjust to new circumstances especially to their new school and their grandmother's increasing dementia, their friend Michael, who has been allowed to remain in London and help his father with his activities at NARPAC (National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee) and who is frantic over the disappearance of his friend's pets. Michael is also an animal lover and is upset at the growing number of pets that are not roaming the streets of London or being put down by people frightened by rumors that when the Nazis invade, they will infect the animals with rabies.
Part of Rix's purpose in The Great Escape is to make readers aware of the fate of these wartime animals. She writes in her Afterword that over 400,000 cats and dogs are put down with only 4 days time at the start of the war. Ironically, by Christmas, there was a shortage of dogs that could be trained for search and rescue purposes once bombing began. You can guess that Rix is an animal lover in the same vein as Robert, Lucy and Michael.
The Great Escape is a perfect novel for any animal lover and perhaps an eye opener for those folks who might no love animals as much.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library
I have only come across one other story for young readers about NARPAC in WW2 and that was in an old Girl's Own Annual, Volume 62, published circa 1940 and called Nancy and NARPAC by Phyllis Matthewman. If anyone knows of other NARPAC stories for young readers, I would appreciate hearing about it.
This review was orginally posted at The Children's War
But before Robert and Lucy travel to Devon, it is decided that neighbor Mrs. Harris will keep their pets for which she will receive some remuneration unbeknownst to her husband. Trouble is, Mr. Harris doesn't like animals and resents the money needed to feed and care for the pets when he could be spending it in the pub. And so, it is off to the animal shelter to have them put down behind his wife's back.
The line is long and before they get inside, the animals manage to escape from Mr. Harris and run away. Now that they are on their own, where to go? Rose seems to have an idea, but it is a long way home.
Believing their pets are safe and well cared for, Robert and Lucy arrive in Devon, only to be met by their grandmother's neighbors, the Fosters. Their grandmother hasn't been acting right lately, and the Fosters thought it would be better for Robert and Lucy to stay with them.
As the children settle in with the Fosters, Buster, Rose and Tiger begin their long trek across southern England in the direction of Devon. Learning to work as a team, they manage to find enough to eat most of the time, but as the weather gets colder, the trip becomes harder and harder. Along the way, each animal is caught and cared for by someone, until they decide it is time to rejoin their companions and resume their trip west.
Will the children and pets ever be safely and happily reunited?
The Great Escape is a heartwarming, exciting novel. It is an adventure story about courage, survival and loyalty. And not just the loyalty of pets to their owners, but of friends and family to each other and to their pets, as well.
The story reminded me somewhat of Robert Westall's book Blitzcat, about a black cat that goes looking for its true human, a pilot in the RAF during WW2. But unlike Blitzcat, The Great Escape alternates between the animal's journey, the children struggling to adjust to new circumstances especially to their new school and their grandmother's increasing dementia, their friend Michael, who has been allowed to remain in London and help his father with his activities at NARPAC (National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee) and who is frantic over the disappearance of his friend's pets. Michael is also an animal lover and is upset at the growing number of pets that are not roaming the streets of London or being put down by people frightened by rumors that when the Nazis invade, they will infect the animals with rabies.
Part of Rix's purpose in The Great Escape is to make readers aware of the fate of these wartime animals. She writes in her Afterword that over 400,000 cats and dogs are put down with only 4 days time at the start of the war. Ironically, by Christmas, there was a shortage of dogs that could be trained for search and rescue purposes once bombing began. You can guess that Rix is an animal lover in the same vein as Robert, Lucy and Michael.
The Great Escape is a perfect novel for any animal lover and perhaps an eye opener for those folks who might no love animals as much.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library
I have only come across one other story for young readers about NARPAC in WW2 and that was in an old Girl's Own Annual, Volume 62, published circa 1940 and called Nancy and NARPAC by Phyllis Matthewman. If anyone knows of other NARPAC stories for young readers, I would appreciate hearing about it.
This review was orginally posted at The Children's War
January 14, 2014
This is a quite sweet little tale in the style of a Morpurgo animal-war-story, with shadows of both Robert Westall's Blitzcat and Sheila Burnord's The Incredible Journey.
For me as an adult, the standout element was the detail of World War Two England - an excellent teaching tool for inquisitive minds that all pick up trivia about bomb shelters, evacuation, blackouts, and life in general going into the Second World War.
As in The Incredible Journey, two dogs and a cat are 'left behind' by their beloved family (parents taking wartime jobs, children evacuated to the countryside). Though entrusted to a neighbour, circumstances lead them to run away and seek out the children they love, journeying around the country running into difficulties and working together to keep going.
There are side stories following the children in the country, showing what life was sometimes life for evacuees, and a touching plot about their grandmother suffering a breakdown remembering her son killed in the First World War.
There's nothing here child readers won't like - likeable children coping with adversity, brave animals and numerous scrapes. I did find it quite formulaic but this doesn't stop it being enjoyable. Blitzcat did the 'animals flit into various lives and change them for the better' plot. And The Incredible Journey had the animals feel more under threat. But The Great Escape contains lots of wonderful period detail and a neat little story with three animals who have distinct personalities and traits.
The afterword, giving details about the WWII facts on animals put to sleep is shocking and out me in mind of Morpurgo's regular comments on animal welfare in wartime. Good to know.
Quite exciting for a 9-year-old and so much to discuss with them to push an interest in animals and history.
For me as an adult, the standout element was the detail of World War Two England - an excellent teaching tool for inquisitive minds that all pick up trivia about bomb shelters, evacuation, blackouts, and life in general going into the Second World War.
As in The Incredible Journey, two dogs and a cat are 'left behind' by their beloved family (parents taking wartime jobs, children evacuated to the countryside). Though entrusted to a neighbour, circumstances lead them to run away and seek out the children they love, journeying around the country running into difficulties and working together to keep going.
There are side stories following the children in the country, showing what life was sometimes life for evacuees, and a touching plot about their grandmother suffering a breakdown remembering her son killed in the First World War.
There's nothing here child readers won't like - likeable children coping with adversity, brave animals and numerous scrapes. I did find it quite formulaic but this doesn't stop it being enjoyable. Blitzcat did the 'animals flit into various lives and change them for the better' plot. And The Incredible Journey had the animals feel more under threat. But The Great Escape contains lots of wonderful period detail and a neat little story with three animals who have distinct personalities and traits.
The afterword, giving details about the WWII facts on animals put to sleep is shocking and out me in mind of Morpurgo's regular comments on animal welfare in wartime. Good to know.
Quite exciting for a 9-year-old and so much to discuss with them to push an interest in animals and history.
July 4, 2016
This book is about 3 kids: Robert, Lucy and Charlie. There are also 3 pets: Buster, Rose and Tiger. The book is set in England during the beginning of World War 2.
Some of the students in our class liked that the story was a fun way to learn more about what life was like at that time. They thought it was a very interesting book that gave good insight into the plight of animals during times of war.
Other students did not like the book so much. One student found that the characters did not develop enough throughout the story line. They did not believe that the book would hook in potential readers.
We would recommend this book overall for ages 8 and up. Younger children might be a bit scared by some of the themes concerning war.
Some of the students in our class liked that the story was a fun way to learn more about what life was like at that time. They thought it was a very interesting book that gave good insight into the plight of animals during times of war.
Other students did not like the book so much. One student found that the characters did not develop enough throughout the story line. They did not believe that the book would hook in potential readers.
We would recommend this book overall for ages 8 and up. Younger children might be a bit scared by some of the themes concerning war.
April 29, 2016
The Great Escape is a brilliant read for children. It's packed with little facts and details about World War II, but as it all forms naturally within the story it doesn't appear like learning at all. The author handled difficult topics like evacuations & mass animal destruction with great skill.
Robert and Lucy and their pets were well drawn characters and I really enjoyed following their story.
It is a perfect learning device for children showing them how it was to live though the start of World War II. It should be recommended reading in all junior schools. Children and animal lovers will enjoy this tale.
(I posted a more detailed review on my website.)
Robert and Lucy and their pets were well drawn characters and I really enjoyed following their story.
It is a perfect learning device for children showing them how it was to live though the start of World War II. It should be recommended reading in all junior schools. Children and animal lovers will enjoy this tale.
(I posted a more detailed review on my website.)
November 3, 2013
The Great Escape by Megan Rix – Historical Fiction/ Animal Fiction, 4th grade and up – Well. I was thrilled and lost in this book immediately. Enjoyed reading various storylines all occurring at the beginning of the Second World War. I loved following two dogs and one cat escaping being killed and going on quite the long journey that passed them by several key experiences at the beginning of the war. I loved reading The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford as a child and especially loved watching the movie Homeward Bound as well.
July 1, 2016
Fairly typical 'animals against the world', WWII story. It has been done better, but it was still engaging.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews