When Empire Calls
By (Author) Ken Catran
Scholastic New Zealand Limited
Scholastic New Zealand
1st March 2012
New Zealand
Children
Fiction
823.2
Short-listed for LIANZA Children's Book Awards: Esther Glen Medal for Junior Fiction 2013
Paperback
It's early days in the Boer War and the small farming community of Huia is gripped by patriotic fervour. Men, young and old, are eager to join up and head overseas to fight the 'evil scoundrel folk in Africa who opposed the British Empire and had to be taught a lesson'. When his two elder brothers join up, James is left to help his father run the family farm, as well as helping out in the local village store, for the irascible old 'Croaky Fred', a badtempered old codger who always speaks his mind - and he has nothing good to say about war in any form. Turns out Fred has a secret ...
Ken Catran is known as one of New Zealand's leading writers for children and young adults.