Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Michael Morpurgo Biography
Michael Morpurgo is an award-winning English author, born in St. Alban’s in 1943. After attending St. Matthias primary school in London, Michael was sent away to boarding school, which he never liked and wrote about in his novel, Butterly Lion.

Later Michael joined the army but decided it wasn’t for him and become a teacher instead, where he says “I ran out of other writers’ stories to read, so started making up some of my own”. After ten years as a teacher, Michael and his wife Clare, set up a charity called Farms for City Children, to help inner city children experience life in the countryside. Over 90,000 children have benefited by spending time on one of the three farms run by the charity.
Michael now lives in Devon and has written more than 130 books! You can read more about his life in Michael’s biography, War Child to War Horse.

Michael Morpurgo's latest book, a retelling of The Snowman, a story inspired by the original by Raymond Briggs was published in October 2019.

Michael Morpurgo Facts
His wife Clare, is the eldest daughter of Sir Allen Lane, founder of Penguin Books!

Michael was inspired by (and later became great friends with) the poet Ted Hughes and together they came up with the idea of a Children’s Laureate. In 2003 Michael became the third Children’s Laureate and you can read more about the Children’s Laureate and how it recognises the important role of children’s books here: http://www.childrenslaureate.org.uk

Our favourite Michael Morpurgo book characters
- Charlie from Private Peaceful 
- Michael from Kensuke’s Kingdom
- Joey from War Horse 

Michael Murpurgo Series
- Farm Boy is the sequel to War Horse
- Mudpuddle Farm

Our favourite Michael Morpurgo book quotes
- “I can hate you more, but I’ll never love you less” (War Horse)
- “Being his real brother I could feel I live in his shadows, but never have and I do not now. I live in his glow” (Private Peaceful)
- “Life must not be spent always hoping, always waiting. Life is for living” (Kensuke’s Kingdom)