Pass it on February  

Writer Penny Starns collects the stories of the children who were evacuated during the Second World War. In May 1940, the government decided to evacuate 200,000 children around the globe from Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow, leaving them alone and disconnected from their parents. Oceans Apart: Stories of Overseas Evacuees in World War 2 tells the previously untold stories of the evacuees and their experiences in their own words. The stories reveal the differing experiences of those children who were sent away to Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, some settled into their new families with ease whilst others were subjected to racism and abuse. A must-read for a new perspective. Available now for £12.99 and published by The History Press.

As the National Theatre’s War Horse continues to gallop around the country on tour, a new version of Egmont’s award-winning iPad app of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse is now available in a lighter version specially tailored for children. The app, released to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, contains more than 250 photos, videos and 3D rotating objects and quotes, plus 35 video interviews with the author and historians. Children can learn about the life of a WWI soldier, what it was like in the trenches, why a tank is called a tank and much more – including of course the complete text of the novel, with an unabridged audiobook reading by the author. Alongside the text sits a timeline which tells the real story of the First World War through documents, maps, photographs and film. As in the novel, the war is seen from both Allied and German perspectives, with professionally narrated first-hand quotes and over 200 original photographs to bring you closer to the soldiers’ experience. A great investment at £3.99 at ye olde iTunes App Store