In just under two weeks time a new exhibition is opening at The Imperial War Museum in London inspired by 5 classic children’s books: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall and Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley.
Once Upon a Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children, a family friendly exhibition, brings to life these stories through scale models, interactive exhibits and life size sets. Visitors will be taken on a journey through conflicts from the First World War to the present day and along the way experience something of war through a child’s eyes.
Kids (young and young at heart) will be able to pull up a chair in Hepzibah’s kitchen as the evacuees would have done in Carrie’s War, discover the schoolboys’ secret fortress from The Machine Gunners and wander around the cellar school, hidden under the destroyed streets of Warsaw in The Silver Sword.
Each featured book will be contextualised, with genuine examples of relevant objects including evacuee labels and letters, aircraft recognition cards and a tail fin from a German incendiary bomb. You’ll also be able to see artefacts from the authors’ working processes, including manuscripts, early sketches, interviews and photographs.
To mark this exhibition in style the The Imperial War Museum has commissioned a new short story by author Michael Morpurgo and illustrator by Michael Foreman. Taking its inspiration from a unique object in the Museum’s Collections it will tell another intriguing tale of war. In addition, there will be a children’s war literature festival at Imperial War Museum London during August 2011 with author-led lectures, discussions and workshops. The exhibition will open at Imperial War Museum North in Manchester in February 2012.
Would you like to win a family ticket to this exhibition? To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post 🙂
Good luck!
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Kate
Wow, I had forgotten about all of these books… thank you for reminding me!
Kate x
Sarah
We love the Imperial War Museum. It’s an amazing place – would love to win!
Molly Hyde-Caroom
We are planning a trip to England this spring or summer so this would be perfect! If not, thanks for the amazing book suggestions.
Ali B
I will be borrowing some children to take to this. It looks and sounds amazing.
kate Davis-Holmes
My children are so interested in history and we would love to be in with a chance of winning so here goes
BookMoot
This is right up my alley. Wish I had a trip planned so I could see it. What a good idea to emulate though.
Katherine
Wow, We would love to see this. The Machine Gunners was filmed at old school in 1981, 1982. Please enter us.
Super Amazing Mum
Wow, my soilder/war obsessed 7 year would LOVE this! We must have been 8 times in the last year alone. Please enter us!!!
melissa cannon
Not sure who will enjoy this more – me or the children!!
Jenny
I love the IWM and would love to take my little one there!
wendy mcdonald
Sounds amazing…my children love Michael Morpurgo. Please enter me x
Lorna
Would love to win this, we visit London often to visit family 🙂
Jo Bryan
Aww missed it good luck to all of you xx