My Family The Enemy

When Jack goes to visit his Granny Jess, he is expecting the usual routine involving biscuits. However, this Saturday afternoon things are different as his grandmother seems preoccupied. When she shares the contents of a very old biscuit tin with him, Jack discovers events in his family history which he never knew happened.

Moving from London in 1998 with Jack back to 1914 with his great-grandfather Fred, ‘My Family The Enemy’ reflects the experiences of those with German ancestry who were living in England during WW1. Many countries interned ‘enemy aliens’ at this time and through the eyes of Fred, Karen McCombie shows how xenophobia and public hysteria devastated the lives of German families or those with German (or Austro-Hungarian) descent, turning their friends and neighbours against them.

Fred Muller is an ordinary London schoolboy, not the best behaved at school perhaps, but good natured and good hearted with a loving family whose bakery was at the heart of their community. As hostilities with Germany develop, the reader sees his life change as his German surname leads people to treat him and his family with suspicion and mistrust. Facing bullying at school from his teacher as well as his former friends and classmates, Fred finds himself increasingly isolated and his father is taken from the family and interred at nearby Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace). The story clearly shows the human stories behind the prejudice and injustice which Fred, and others, experience, encouraging empathy and sure to provoke discussions which are as relevant today.

The experiences of other characters in the story also reflect the prejudices of the time. Fred’s sister, Lil, longs for more than the husband and children her parents have in mind for her. She finds factory work and a place on the women’s football team, freedoms which are quickly lost once the war ends. His classmates, Prue and Gertie, are also targets for bullies as Prue’s family are Quakers and Gertie’s father is Hungarian.

The story is packed with historical detail, developing children’s understanding of life on the home front and sparking curiosity about the stories of those seen as the enemy. Additional notes at the end of the story help to clarify and add detail about events, locations and individuals mentioned. Perfect as a class read, ‘My Family The Enemy’ is a very engaging, well-written and thought-provoking story.

My Family The Enemy

Karen McCombie

Bloomsbury Education ISBN: 978-1801995931

How to Hide an Alien

With Star Boy having chosen a new life on Earth, his friends, Wes and Kiki, now have the job of helping him learn how to pass for a human. With a long list of ‘don’t’s to remember, he is struggling to get to grips with confusing and unfamiliar Human conventions and quirks, but Star Boy soon finds himself facing a bigger problem - strange feelings in his body which lead to unexplained electrical surges which cause disturbances and make it hard for him to remain invisible. When he is accidentally seen in his true form by the whole school, hysterical reports of alien sightings abound as Wes and Kiki struggle to keep him hidden and safe.

I adored ‘How to Be a Human’ and so was very excited to find that Karen McCombie had written a second book about Star Boy and his friends.

Now safely living with Eddie, owner of the Electrical Emporium, Star Boy is settling in to life on Earth. With all of his usual enthusiasm and observational skills, he is trying really hard to blend in and learn human ways, following the rules Kiki has created for him. However, concepts like ‘white lies’ are really hard to get the hang of!

Whilst trying to help their unusual friend to blend in, Kiki and Wes are struggling with problems of their own. Both are having issues at home: Kiki feels increasingly resentful towards her father and his new girlfriend and Wes’s father is becoming more and more withdrawn and anxious- concerns readers might identify with. These problems are woven into the story, often with Star Boy’s naive, and slightly puzzled, take on things illuminating the situation.

Karen McCombie is an incredibly talented writer! There is such pleasure to be had from reading both of these books- such gentle wisdom and humour, coupled with engaging characters, make each a one-sitting read. I really hope there is at least one more adventure for Star Boy and his friends, but in the mean time, I will take the greatest pleasure in recommending these ones!

How to Hide an Alien Karen McCombie

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1788951104

You can read my review of ‘How to be a Human’ here.