THE BOOK
SHRAPNEL BOYS BY JENNY PEARSON
When war comes to London in 1939, the battles aren’t just in the sky and on the streets. For Ronnie Smith, they’re at home too. His little brother is up to no good with dangerous new friends, and Ronnie is desperate to help. But he isn’t expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the whole war…
For ages 9+
JENNY PEARSON
Jenny Pearson is an award-winning author, teacher and mother of two young boys. Her books have been translated into 21 languages, and she has been shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Week Junior Book Award and was the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Award. As a primary school teacher, Jenny regularly covers the Second World War in her classroom and was inspired to write Shrapnel Boys by the extraordinary resilience of Londoners living through the war.
Photography © Marc Sethi
The judges said: Shrapnel Boys is a stunning piece of historical fiction which combines meticulous research with a beautifully imagined plot. Pearson brings the past to life with a heartfelt story that will resonate with every modern reader.
2025 Children’s Fiction judges
