Product Description

A heart-warming tale of courage and warmth, set against the backdrop of the second world war, about an abandoned village, a lifelong friendship and one very adventurous cat! 'Classic Morpurgo brilliance' -- Publishing News "Something's up. Something big too, very big. At school, in the village, whoever you meet, it's all anyone talks about. It's like a sudden curse has come down on us all. It makes me wonder if we'll ever see the sun again." It's 1943, and Lily Tregenze lives on a farm, in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton. Apart from her father being away, and the 'townie' evacuees at school, her life is scarcely touched by the war. Until one day, Lily and her family, along with 3000 other villagers, are told to move out of their homes -- lock, stock and barrel. Soon, the whole area is out of bounds, as the Allied forces practise their landings for D-day, preparing to invade France. But Tips, Lily's adored cat, has other ideas -- barbed wire and keep-out signs mean nothing to her, nor does the danger of guns and bombs. Frantic to find her, Lily makes friends with two young American soldiers, who promise to help her. But will she ever see her cat again? Lily decides to cross the wire into the danger zone to look for Tips herself! Now, many years later, as Michael is reading his Grandma Lily's diary, he learns about The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips -- and wonders how one adventurous cat could still affect their lives sixty years later.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3588 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
A lot of Michael Morpurgo’s novels for young readers have shared a common theme recently, and to a canon of work about the two World Wars that has included War Horse and Private Peaceful he adds the quietly impressive The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. His backdrop, meticulously researched and recreated as ever, is the evacuation of several South Coast villages in early 1944 to make way for American troops as they practice for the imminent D-Day landings.

Morpurgo focuses on the impact this upheaval has on one young twelve-year-old girl, Lily Tregenze, who lives on a farm in the village of Slapton with her mum and grandfather. Her world is made up of her local school, currently filled to bursting with London evacuees, and her adoration for Tips, her faithful cat companion. Tips is forever having litters of kittens and Lily is distraught when her dad, who’s away in the army, then her mum, drowns successive litters because they would be too many to keep and feed.

The biggest shock of the reality of living in Wartime Britain, however, comes when they find out they have to move to their Uncle George’s farm to make way for the army exercises. On the eve of their move, Tips goes missing. And for months afterwards it is only the kindness of a young American soldier and his army friend who help look Lily look for Tips that helps her get through the many changes and challenges in her life.

The reader is forewarned that there is a twist at the end of this story, that Lily has gone and done something amazing and maybe a little foolhardy, and half the fun of this book is guessing what that might turn out to be. Morpurgo is a genuinely talented storyteller. There is always the kernel of a great idea in his books that make him one of the best writers for children around today. (Age 8 and over) --John McLay

Review
"A master storyteller at his best" The Sunday Times "From the first sentence of a Michael Morpurgo book, you know you are in the hands of a natural storyteller." Guardian "Classic Morpurgo brilliance" Bookseller's choice, Publishing News "!a succinctly engaging tear-jerker, it is also full of happiness and affection and has a joyful ending! It is also about people who care enough to look after each other, offering a lesson in life as well as history. Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week "!Michael Morpurgo weaves a touching tale that's full of surprises. A master storyteller at his best." Funday Times "As always, Morpurgo writes with solid confidence in a voice that's gentle yet spellbinding." Evening Standard 'Praise for PRIVATE PEACEFUL: Tommo's journey from agricultural labourer to cannon fodder is movingly told!Michael Morpurgo is expert at getting through to his readers. He writes here about events that should never be forgotten nor forgiven, and does so most effectively. Independent !full of warmth as well as grief, conveying vividly how precious it is to be alive! Sunday Times The best novel he's written since The Butterfly Lion. The Times Deserved to last as an insight into the First World War in the same way as, say, The Silver Sword or Goodnight Mr Tom. Telegraph A poignant, elegiac novel. Daily Mail

Guardian
"From the first sentence of a Michael Morpurgo book, you know you are in the hands of a natural storyteller."

Customer Reviews

A heartwarming story - I couldn't put it down.
Michael Morpurgo has written yet another brilliant story with 'The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips'.

It's the story of Lily Tregenza who, in 1943, lives on the family farm on the coast of Devon with her mum and grandfather. Her dad's away in the army. Lily has a cat called Tips, and when the family are forced to move from their home for several months while the army take over the area as a training ground Lily's beloved Tips runs away and gets left behind. Lily is heartbroken but will not give up her search for Tips and she enters the cordoned-off Danger Zone to look for Tips herself - a very dangerous place to be...

It's a lovely story. Written in a simple, easy-to-read style, yet granting the reader a true insight into the Second World War from a child's perspective in the countryside. We also learn at the outset of the story that there's going to be a twist to Lily's tale right at the end, so as long as you don't cheat and peek at the end, it makes for a really compulsive read.

Michael Morpurgo reminds us that 3000 people really were evacuated from their homes around Slapton Sands in Devon, so that the troops could practice landing exercises along the beaches. The beaches there were similar there to the landing beaches in Normandy, used for the D-Day landings of June 1944.

I can highly recommend the story of Adolphus Tips for all ages from 8+.

Captivating, and realistic

As a grown-up fan of Michael Morpurgo's books, I came to this one especially interested in the South Hams district of South Devon in which it is set, an area I know quite well and which was evacuated during World War Two so that the Allied troops could practise for D-Day.

The characters are all so well-drawn and believable, neither saints nor villains. Most of the book is written in the form of a diary by Lily Tregenza, a schoolgirl at the time of the evacuation.

Tips, by the way, is Lily's cat, and a powerful character in her own right.

I will really enjoy sharing this book with my son, who is 11 and currently doing a project on Britain during the Second World War. Also with my daughter, aged 9, who is very keen on stories involving animals.

I can't imagine anyone NOT enjoying this warm and powerful book. Full marks, and thank you once again to Mr Morpurgo !

Delightful rite of passage novel set in WWII Devon
I read this book, while on holiday in the rural South Hams of Devon, where it's set, which made it all the more evocative. The protagonist, an eleven year old girl, is very well written. Her story shows her maturing understanding of her family, evacuees and American strangers that become her friends: all stressed by their wartime obligation to make enormous personal sacrifices. The story has fabulous highs and lows; but my overall impression was feeling incredibly humbled and proud of our joint efforts to achieve peace. A fabulous story (that also has a cat in it!)