Matt Turner has gone to stay with his grandparents on their dairy farm. His mum is on bed rest in hospital for her baby and his dad is away on business. Matt enjoys the farm, and is attending a new school. He quickly makes friends with the few kids in his year but is soon unsettled by an old man called Cedric who takes offence to him as soon as he learns his name. To make things worse, his teacher announces a term project – prepare a speech about a war hero in your family. Public speaking, no matter how small, is Matt’s biggest fear.

When he tells his grandfather about Cedric, he learns that Cedric himself was a war hero, but he hated ‘Conchies’ (Conscientious Objectors) and that someone in their family called Archibald Baxter was one of NZ’s bravest pacifists – standing up for what he believed in no matter how harshly he was treated by the army and his own home town.

A thought provoking story about standing up for what you believe in no matter what and gaining courage from others who have done just that. Archibald Baxter is a well-known NZ pacifist and it’s fantastic there is a story for Year 6 up that can share that.

Author – L P Hansen

Age – 12+

See Book Trailer here

New Zealand, WWI, Archibald Baxter, Conchie, Conscientious Objector, School, Courage, Family, Stutter)