A stirring story set against the background of the 1916 Rising. John Joe is a pupil in Padraig Pearse's school, and gets caught up in the dramatic events of the Rebellion. Compelling and evocative.
Category: 1916 Easter Rising, Accelerated Reader - Middle Years, Children's fiction, Historical Fiction
Themes:
School Life
St Enda's is no ordinary school, and Padraic Pearse is no ordinary headmaster.
His pupils are inspired by his vision of freedom and an Irish Republic, and John Joe and his friend Roger see the Easter Rising as their chance to fight for Ireland's freedom. But the two boys are horrified to learn that they are too young to take part.
They disobey orders to stay away from the city centre and quickly become caught up in the dramatic events of the Rebellion. Called to be brave and resourceful beyond their years, they witness events that change their lives forever.
Another dramatic blend of history and fiction from the inimitable Morgan Llywelyn.
Historian and novelist Morgan Llywelyn was born in New York City, but after the death of her husband and parents in 1985 returned to Ireland to take up citizenship in the land of her grandparents and make her permanent home there.
After making the shortlist for the United States Olympic Team in Dressage in 1975, but not making the team itself, she turned to writing historical novels exploring her Celtic roots. The most successful of these was Lion of Ireland - The Legend of Brian Boru, which was published in 1980 and has sold into the millions of copies.
She received the Novel of the Year Award from the National League of American Penwomen for her novel The Horse Goddess as well as the Woman of the Year Award from the Irish-American Heritage Committee for Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish. The latter award was presented to her by Ed Koch, then-mayor of New York City.
Morgan is also the author of A Pocket History of Irish Rebels for the O'Brien Pocket Books Series.
In 1990 Morgan Llywelyn turned to writing for the young reader, with the publication of Brian Boru, Emperor of the Irish, a biography in the novelistic style, by The O'Brien Press, Dublin. For this book she won an Irish Children's Book Trust Bisto Award in 1991. Her second book for the young reader is Strongbow, The Story of Richard and Aoife (The O'Brien Press) 1992, for which she won a Bisto Award in the Historical Fiction category, 1993 and the Reading Association of Ireland Award, 1993. Her third novel for young readers, entitled Star Dancer, (The O'Brien Press) was drawn from her experience of the world of showjumping and dressage. She has also written The Vikings in Ireland, an exploration of what actually happened when the Norsemen landed in Ireland.
Morgan's latest book for children is Pirate Queen, the story of Grace O'Malley, told partly through letters from Granuaile to her beloved son. It is a thrilling tale of adventure that brings this unorthodox and inspiring historical figure to life.
'A readable, exciting history that introduces the young reader to historic events and those who made them.'
'An informative and thought provoking read, bringing 1916 alive for a new generation of children.'
'A compelling fictional drama.'
'Morgan Llywelyn is well known for blending fiction with Irish history to great effect and with The Young Rebels she excels once again.'
'Guaranteed to make children think about the human cost of the Rising, the book inspired this reviewer to visit the Pearse Museum for the first time!'
'The novel is refreshingly committed to the heroic interpretation of 1916 and has none of the doubt nor irony that are hallmarks of the revisionist perspective'
