Armistice Runner

by Tom Palmer

Lily has lots of worries. She's struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, worse, she's losing her gran to Alzheimer's. But then she discovers her great-great-grandfather's diaries from the First World War. Could his incredible story of bravery help her reconnect with her gran and even give her the inspiration she needs to push through and win?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, War, Historical, Sports

194 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2018

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that was so good, it was hard to write a review that did it justice…
WW1 ended over a hundred years ago. All the people who would remember that time personally have passed on. So, I have to applaud Tom Palmer for writing this meticulously researched book for middle-grade readers. It’s such a well-written, intriguing historical fiction novel; I’m positive anyone who reads it would want to follow up with more information about that “war to end all wars”.

[A Severs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World Wars have provided many an author with fodder for their fiction and there are some truly brilliant books out there as a result. The best are the ones that take a slightly different angle and explore one of millions of individual lives that were affected by those conflicts. 'Armistice Runner' is one such book. Tom Palmer focuses in on one soldier, Ernest, originally a fell runner from the Lake District, and lets him tell his story of running messages between British army positions in the lead up to the signing of the Armistice in the Great War.

This isn't just historical fiction, though. Palmer has skilfully woven in a modern story of a young girl, also a fell runner, who is a descendent of the World War 1 soldier. Lily is fighting her own battles - Abbie, her rival, always seems to beat her, and her beloved Grandma has Alzheimer's.

On a visit to her grandparents' in the Lakes, and in the run up to a very important race, Lily is given a box containing some of Ernest's things. In the box are some running logs which, Lily discovers, contain much more than just details of her great-great-grandfather's exercise regime: she discovers a commentary of Ernest's time in France and she's desperate to find out what happens.

However, things keep preventing her from reading more - like the disappearance of her Grandma. Through both stories Palmer brilliantly brings together and draws parallels on the themes of family, friendship, rivalry, revenge and loss. The mirrored issues never seem forced - both stories are believable. Many children will identify with Lily's love of her sport, how annoying her little brother is and how worried she is about her grandma. At the same time they will be introduced to the horrors of trench warfare at the beginning of the twentieth century - without going over the top (pun not intended) Palmer describes the smell of a rotting flesh wound in a way that will make the reader physically recoil. For teachers looking for a story set in World War One, this book provides a good starting point to explore both the bigger picture of the war, as well as how individual lives were changed as a result.

The story concludes optimistically with a strong but implicit moral message about putting aside differences and showing kindness to others. In fact, all the way through there is much to develop empathy in the reader, making this a great book to share and discuss with children. The fact that a book with sports and war themes centres around a female character is also a plus point - too often these topics see males take centre stage.

But this isn't only a book about sports or war - it's a just a great story, expertly told, and one that every child should have a chance to read. As with all truly great children's books it's one that adults will enjoy sharing too, potentially prompting grown-ups to share their own family's history and involvement with the World Wars with their children, thus preserving those stories for another generation.

[17darlingtone109 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armistice Runner is about a girl named Lily who is a runner. She discovers her great-great-grandfather’s was diaries from WW1. He was also a runner who competed in fell-running races and this inspires her. Her gran has Alzheimer’s and these diaries help Lily to reconnect with her. The book ends with Lily winning a race as her great-great-grandfather had also done before he went off to fight/be a messenger for WW1. I quite enjoyed this book although it was a bit short and I finished it fairly fast.

[17reidc183 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book as it shows the connection people can have through story’s memory’s and sport/experiences. The book is really interesting as it shows light can come from dark, no matter who you are or where you come from you can be friends with anybody and that you can achieve anything if you really put your mind to it. The genre is fiction however it is an event, especially with the mental illness, that could happen to anyone. The ending is happy but also emotional. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the war or who just wants an interesting read.

[17sikoraz213 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Armistice Runner is about a girl called Lily who likes to run and she has a Grandma who is beginning to lose her memory. Lily has a great-great-grandfather who took part in the World War, she discovers that he wrote diaries when he was in the War and decided to read them. Towards the end of the book, Lily takes part in a race and came first place, this made her very content. I like this book as it involves a lot of Lily’s feelings which the reader can understand. However, this book can be improved by adding what happened to Lily’s Grandma after Lily took part in the race.

[17rahenf205 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book, Lily had always lost a race against a fellow racer called Abbie. Later, she went to her grandparents home knowing that her grandma has a disease that makes her forget things. When they arrived, she gave a red scarf to her grandma and went in. Her grandfather welcomed her as well. Lily told her grandma that she was a runner and her grandma snapped back into reality and started to tell her about her grandfather, Ernest. She then said that Ernest kept a diary about his runs and also his medals. Soon they went to the attic and found the box. In the box was his running shoes, the diary and the medals. Lily then took the book and started reading it. Soon she found out that Ernest was part of the war. She also found out the reason why she wrote this diary and also why he stopped running. The first reason is that his deceased brother Fred said to keep a log on all of his runs. Soon Ernest makes a friend with someone called Captain Whitaker. Whitaker assinged him to be a messenger because of his most recent race that he won. Later he was sent to the HQ and was tell something but then he was told that the war has ended and was to tell Captain Whitaker but when he returned, the place was hit by a shell. The second reason on why he stopped running is because he made a promise that if Captain Whitaker was alive, he will stop running. Luckiky enough he was alive. Soon another messenger came telling hem about the situation they are in. Ernest then ran to the place and saw multiple wounded soldiers. He told them that the war is going to end and that they are probably emptying their ammunitions. He ran back to tell Captain Whitaker that he sent the message. Lily heard shouting and found out that her grandma has left the house. They make a search team to find her but Lily already knew where she would be. She finds her and returns home. The next day, Lily was going to race again but now she has the motivation to push her through. She wins the race against Abbie. This book is really good and i would recommend it to anyone.

[Graine Milner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Children's Book Award - again, another that I'm not sure I would have read otherwise. This is one of the joys of book awards - they make me try books that I wouldn't always read, and so often they turn out to be books I'd have hated to miss. This is one of those books.

Weaving past and present, this story follows both Lily and her family's current problems (her grandmother's Alzheimer's) and past (Lily's grandfather, who was a runner in the First World War). Both stories are completely compelling, and you really care for the characters.

This will appeal to fans of Michale Morpurgo and Emma Carroll.

[16SondergaardI · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a girl called Lily, who discovers her great-grandad's war diaries. The perspective in the book switches between Lily coping with her grandma's suffering of Alzeimer's, and her great grandads experience as a messanger during the war. I thoroughly enjoyed the diary entries, as they were different from a typical soldier's view of the war and there was a lot of action described in the diary, compared to Lily's life. I found Lily's part of the story pretty boring, and the ending was too predictable to me. This book is an easy read and I would recommend it to a reader who doesn't like too much action.

[17lileyb225 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of the book was a 'relationship'. It is not in a book of a trilogy. I really njoyed this book because I could keep up with it and it was really clear on what was happening. The sto y was a bit of a lot of things, it was a bit of sad, exciting, and a page turner, the ending was really happy because ernise that was in the First World War, and lily , the other main character ,apart form ernise, Lily is a fell runner and is practicing for a long run. I would recommend this book to both girls and boys of all ages.

[17rajabs242 · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was about young girl called lily (who is a fell runner.). She was given her great great grandfather's old running logs by her grandmother she has alztzimers. Will she discover what happened to grandfather in the great world war and work out why he stopped running? This w. he a great read and I think it should be read by ages 7-14 because of some adult like events! It was a great book I loved it.

[Miss Pitsillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely a page-turner, I read it in two sittings and didn't want to put it down. This novel combines historical facts, family relationships and an emotional journey. It is a really easy read that keeps you gripped throughout. I would definitely recommend this book as I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[17bushellk003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is a runner and she is going to see her Gran - who has Alzheimer's and grandad.Her Gran is different to before and she is worried .But she reconnects with her Gran when she finds her great great grandfather's diaries who also was a runner.This inspires her and at the end of the book she is running the race he did and she wins like he did before the war .I enjoyed it and it was interesting especially when she discovered his diaries.

[franka bruikman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw! Als je ooit een (kinder)boek over de eerste Wereldoorlog wil lezen, laat dat dan alsjeblieft deze zijn!!
Een prachtig boek over een meisje dat een oud dagboek krijgt van haar oma over haar overgrootvader. Ik zeg voor de rest niks, want anders spoil ik het hele boek, maar wat een waanzinnig en indrukwekkend boek!!

[Chris Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book where World War I and the modern day combine to tell an emotionally charged story. Unspoken bravery and precious memories are brought to life connecting the past and the present. Powerful stuff.

[17osbornej181 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of the story is adventure however also has some action. I liked the book as it had many story's in one. The story was exciting as it had times when you might of thought it was going other ways. the ending was good as it left on a happy note.

[Gohnar23 (hiatus but still reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a delighsful casual book that parallels the story of an athletic runner and her grandfather who got drafted to a war which discusses about family, friendship and what it means to have a competition, good book if you want a light read.

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started this but couldn’t get into it, took back to the library,

[17shaikhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was nice and fun to read. The book was about a girl who is a runner and mostly reading the diary’s of her grandfather

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about the power of memory, war and running. I just adored this. It’s brilliantly written and completely immersive. I didn’t want to stop. It’s just the perfect length too.

[Ophelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

very good its so scary to think what the soldiers did and the sacrifices they made

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an interesting novel which was poignant and thoughtful. I also enjoyed how it taught me about another facet of World War One that I didn't know much about at all namely the runners used at the front line to send messages and share information across the front.

[BooksForTopics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best-selling author Tom Palmer has a track record of bringing together his passions for sport and history in popular stories with a high appeal in primary schools. His new story, Armistice Runner, brings into the spotlight messenger runners on the front line of World War I and is perfectly timed to celebrate the Armistice centenary this November. As with all of Tom’s books published by Barrington Stoke, these books are ‘super-readable’ due to their accessible layout including a dyslexia-friendly font and tinted paper.

The front line of the First World War couldn’t seem further away from Lily’s modern day life. Lily is a young girl who enjoys running in fell races and filling in the details in her running log. Lily has her own battles to fight, as she worries about finishing behind her running rival Abbie, putting up with her annoying younger brother and, most worryingly, attempts to come to terms with her gran’s Alzheimer’s.

During an emotional visit to her gran’s house, Lily manages to connect with her gran over her interest in running and is pleasantly surprised to receive a box of running logs that once beloved to her great-great-grandfather, Ernest. Among the papers Lily discovers detailed diaries from Ernest’s time as a soldier in the First World War.


Intrigued, Lily becomes quickly drawn into Ernest’s first-hand account of his journey from being a young fell-runner just like Lily to signing up to fight on the front lines in France. As she works through the diary, events at her gran’s house cause her to pause between reading different parts of Ernest’s story. The two stories begin to alternate, with parallels cleverly drawn between each one. Desperate to read more but unwilling to share the diaries with her family just yet, Lily keeps her discovery to herself but is easily able to relate to the mirrored themes of family, running, loss and coping with rivalry. Despite being alive 100 years after his story took place, Lily feels a strong connection to Ernest and finds that his experiences give her strength to face her own struggles.

This is a wonderful story to use in the classroom to explore the history of World War 1. The narrative is compelling and perfectly pitched to bring the big themes of war to young readers without being either too frightening or too reductive. By linking the historical aspect of the story to a modern day character in a familiar setting and emphasising the relatable, human aspects of one soldier’s experiences, Tom has skilfully crafted a way for young readers to connect with an event that could too easily seem a world away from them.

Tom Palmer also has some supporting materials on his website and offers school visits.

Many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending me a review copy of this book.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars rounded up. Ages 9+ (at-age reading level). Printed in dyslexic-friendly type.

The story is told from the point of view of Lily (age unknown - I'm not sure it's ever defined except for 'under 15'). Lily is a fell runner (cross-country) preparing for a big race. Staying with her grandparents before the race (which is held in their town), she learns that her great-great grandfather, Ernest, was a fell runner, too, and her grandmother gifts her a box of his things, his shoes, medals, and diaries. The book flashes between Lily and the diary entries as we hear about Earnest's experiences fell running, losing his brother off in the war, joining the war himself, being a runner in the war, and the end of the war. 11 November 1918 is a significant event in the book, making this an ideal Remembrance Day read.

This book deals with a lot of issues:
- a grandmother with Alzheimer's
- competition and sportsmanship (plus a side-character facing inordinate pressure from her father in racing)
- war (death, carrying messages, understanding the effects of war on those who stayed at home and those who returned. I REALLY liked the small inclusion of saving an enemy soldier who became a friend. It reminded me a little of Edgar & Adolf.)
- intergenerational relationships

This would be a great yr 5/6 class read aloud.
It was a really quick read for me (just a few hours).

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Lily, a young fell runner who has been struggling in her races recently, as she goes to visit her grandparents and must come to terms with the way her gran`s Alzheimers is worsening. When she gets there, she comes across an old journal that her great-great grandfather, who was also a fell runner, kept during his time as a soldier in the first world war, which allows her to connect with her grandmother about running and also find wisdom that relates to her own life within its pages. I hadn`t expected there to be extracts from this journal throughout, but I really liked that there was and the way that it portrayed life on the front line. I found both narratives incredibly gripping, and because I was so invested in both I got through this really quickly, especially as there is a mystery in Ernest`s plotline that Lily is trying to discover the truth of: why he abandoned fell running after the war ended. I found this to be such an emotive read because of the portrayal of Lily and Ernest`s feelings over losing or being about to lose their family members; I was crying on multiple occasions while reading for both of them as I felt so sympathetic towards them and the rest of their families, especially in Lily`s case as it really came over that they were very close-knit and that it was deeply affecting them all. If you like stories about World War One, I`d definitely recommend picking this up. 4.5/5

[Tiana Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armistice Runner is a great teen fiction story that brings WWI to life for the youth of today. This book is about a girl called Lily who loves to run and enters a running competition in the lake district. When Lily goes to the lake district to run in the 'fell race', she visits her Grandma, who lives there and has been recently diagnosed with Alzheimers. It is here that her Grnadma has a flash back to Ernest, Lily's great-great- grandfather who was also a runner and ran and won the fell race during WWI. Lily's Grandma soon realises that Lily has inherited Ernest's talent for running, and so she gives Lily Ernest's diaries, Lily learns of his experiences in the trenches and his role in the Armistice and slowly their stories intertwine.

This story will pull on your heartstrings, but it also makes the history and experiences of soldiers during WWI more accessible, understandable, and easily digestible for teenagers. It is a good introduction to WWI, and it is relatable for teenagers as the family story and having an ancestor who fought in the war runs through many British children's families. I highly recommend this novel for all children between the ages of 9 and 14 years old.

[Christina Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully-written book which follows Lily as she faces one of the toughest challenges of her life, losing her beloved grandmother to Alzheimer's. Not to mention that she has been losing races and her confidence with each loss. On a visit to her grandparents' home, she finds her great-great-grandfather's diaries from the First World War and discovers that he was a fell-runner like her. Not only did he win the local race, but he ran for his country, sending messages across foreign battlefields and saving lives.
I though that this story was perfectly balanced between the challenges that Lily is facing in her own life and the insight into how her great-great-grandfather and his family suffered during the war. I devoured it in no time at all, with the pages seeming to fly past as I was drawn in to Lily's life and her great-great-grandfather, Ernest's as he goes to war.

[Alex Peachman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deceptively simple book - it's actually three stories cleverly woven together in a straightforward but engaging way. Lily is a fell runner and has a big race in the Lake District coming up. She's staying with her Grandparents and her Gran's Alzheimers seems to be getting worse. She finds her great great grandfather's diaries and reads them, discovering stories of the war and of running from more than 100 years ago.
There are lots of books set in the first world war, but this one is unusual because it links it very much with the present, and you learn far more about the logistics of war and how the war was ended, then you do about the actual fighting.
It's an easy to read story, but one that will stay with you for a long time.

[16BlandfordI · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, that I wouldn’t have read if it hadn’t have been recommended it. I am so glad it was recommended to me because it’s exactly the type of book that I love to read. I found it similar to Michael Morpurgo's The Amazing story of Adolphus tips in the way that there is someone reading the diary of a member of their family set during the war.

Armistice runner, is about a girl named Lily, whose Grandmother has Alzheimer's. After hearing that Lily has been running, her gran gives Lily a box which belonged to Lily’s great great grandfather. In-side is his running diary. With questions only the diary’s will reveal the answers to, Lily begins to read…

The book, then tells the reader, of her great great grandfathers experiences of the war as a runner whilst telling us about Lily’s experiences of reading the diary. The diary’s give Lily the motivation she needs in order to feel confident about her race the next day.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily goes to visit her grandparents and is introduced to Ernest, her great great grandfather through his war diaries. As Lily starts reading she learns what it was like in the trenches towards the end of the First World War. Like her, Ernest was a fell runner and his ability to run fast over challenging terrain earned him the job of carrying messages on the front line.

The dual narrative of Lily trying to maintain a relationship with her grandmother who is battling Alzheimer's and that of Ernest, writing letters to his dead brother tell a wonderful story of family and loyalty. Both Lily and Ernest were likeable characters and I felt drawn into both of their stories.

The book sensitively deals with dementia and how memories come and go.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this immensely. I don't run but can see how tough you have to be to be a fell runner. But Lily doesn't seem tough, she worries about her races and the girl that beats her. She's on her way to Nan and Grandad's house where they will stay before the race. That's just another worry - Nan. Lily's Nan isn't well but when Lily talks about fell running Nan becomes animated and send Lily's dad to the loft for a box. It contains Lily's Great Grandad's running shoes, race numbers and log books. But are they just running log books?
Lily finds out more about her family than she has ever known before and also more about herself.

Another new school book that I've brought home to read and it didn't disappoint.