Pupils from Humanities Club entered very well-written and thoughtful book reviews into the Historical Association’s Young Quills reviews 2023 competition. Everyone who entered received house points for their efforts and should be very proud of themselves. Maxwell, in Year 6, wrote a wonderful review of the book ‘Bruno and Frida’, which has made it onto the official website.
Review by Maxwell
“Bruno and Frida is a harrowing tale of friendship and adventure, set towards the end of World War II. The heroes of the book are very compelling due to their unlikely friendship; one a German boy and the other a Russian explosives dog sent to destroy German vehicles. Despite being from opposing sides, they are dependent on each other in order to survive in wartime Germany. Tony Bradman powerfully demonstrates that war is not black and white by illustrating some of the complexities of combats.
As an aspiring historian, this piece of fiction was particularly interesting to me because it highlighted the atrocities committed by both sides and despite the Allied victory in headlines, there is absolutely no winner in war. Having studies the facts and dates of the particular battle, it was very thought-provoking to read such an emotive tale of a personal nature.
The language is very accessible in this story, which is contrasted with the darker atmosphere created by the author, and therefore I would not recommend this story for younger audiences.
As the years pass, it is possible to feel distanced from World War II, but stories such as these make history come to life. It was an incredibly powerful read.”
