Interview - Jenny Pearson on her new book 'Shrapnel Boys'
- Imagining History
- May 1
- 6 min read
It is no over statement to say that middle-grade children – and their responsible adults – freakin’ love Jenny Peason’s laugh-out-loud adventure books. Jenny’s first book, ‘The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates’, was a thigh-slapping-so-much-it-hurts story, so much so, it even won the Laugh Out Loud Book Award (aka the LOLLIES). Jenny followed up her debut with even more brilliant books, including ‘The Incredible Record Smashers’, ‘The Boy Who Made Monsters’, and ‘Operation Nativity’.
As a primary school teacher, Jenny knows what kids want to read, which makes her first historical fiction novel, ‘Shrapnel Boys’, such a tantalising prospect. Jenny’s page-turning prose means this 1939-set adventure is the ideal story to further children’s learning whilst studying the second World War. We were lucky enough to receive a preview copy of Shrapnel Boys, and let us tell you, it’s an absolute doozy!
We knew we had to get Jenny on the Imaging History Blog to chat Hard Rain, fascinating World War 2 facts, and how to bring history to life for children. So, if you’re a teacher looking for the next great history read for your class, a parent on the hunt for books to get their children excited to read, or a kid who just wants to enjoy a thrilling adventure, then this is the interview for you!
Imagining History - Hi Jenny, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! First off, could you tell our readers a little about the story of your thrilling historical children’s novel, Shrapnel Boys?
Jenny Pearson - Shrapnel Boys is set in Southeast London and follows Ronnie Smith, his younger brother Micky and their best friend, Lugs, and their lives during World War II. At night, they face the Luftwaffe attacks from their Anderson shelters and during the day they make dens and scavenge for shrapnel in bombsites. When Micky becomes entangled in a secret job with dangerous companions, Ronnie is determined to protect him. Soon he ends up uncovering dangerous secrets that could alter the course of the war.
Amidst the chaos of the Blitz, 'Shrapnel Boys' is a tale of courage, brotherhood, and the unexpected heroes forged in the midst of conflict.
How did the idea for the story come about?
I loved History at school, and I also love teaching it, and ever since I became an author, I knew I wanted to write a story set in World War II. I had an image in my head of boys playing in ruins and so I started to research the period, and the story grew from there.
Who were the real Shrapnel boys? And what is Hard Rain?
The real Shrapnel Boys are all the children who lived through World War II. Although war was a scary time, like Ronnie at the start of the book, many children also viewed it as an adventure – turning bombsites into dens and collecting shrapnel from the streets. Shrapnel is what is meant by Hard Rain and refers to the sharp fragments and debris caused by explosions.
No spoilers, but Oswald Mosley and the Blackshirts are involved in your adventure. Who were they and what role do they play in your story?
Oswald Moseley was the leader of the British Union of Fascists, a far-right political movement that began in the 1930s. The Blackshirts were members of the BUF who wore black uniforms – inspired by the followers of the Italian fascist, Benito Mussolini’s. The Black Shirts marched through streets and held rallies with the aim of spreading fascist ideology. They were known to be aggressive and intimidating especially towards Jewish communities. They promoted nationalism, strict government control and anti-immigration policies.
Moseley and many of the main BUF party members were interned from May 1940. Churchill was concerned that as they were sympathetic towards the Nazi regime, they may be a threat to the war effort. The war essentially helped lead to the fall of the BUF, but at the time, there were some people, albeit a minority, who did not believe Britain should be fighting against Germany.
In the story, Moseley represents an insidious threat, one I referenced to show how an ideology can be spread.
How did you go about researching 'Shrapnel Boys'?
I spent a lot of time reading first-hand accounts of people who had lived through World War II. There’s a fabulous BBC website called WW2 People’s War that has an archive of thousands of stories. These voices were instrumental in enabling me to understand what life was like and how people felt during the war.
I also looked at old photographs of Lewisham and Deptford before and after World War II and read newspaper articles from the time. I read history books and googled a lot. I also spent a lot of time on the bombsite website that shows every bomb that fell on London during the Blitz.
To learn more about Planes, I spoke to my dad and also visited Duxford Air Museum.
During all that extensive research, did you discover any fascinating facts that a child learning about the second World War might find helpful in their studies?
There are lots of fascinating facts from World War II that children might find helpful!
1. It was the Deadliest Conflict in Human History
Over 70 million people died during World War II – soldiers and civilians alike. That’s more than the population of the UK today.
2. 1.4 million Londoners were made Homeless
Which, considering the population of London was around 8.6million in 1939, is a huge percentage of the population.
3. The War Involved Most of the World
More than 30 countries took part. It was truly a world war, with battles fought across Europe, Asia, Africa, and even the Pacific Islands.
4. Kids Played a Role Too
Teens and even younger kids helped on the home front – collecting scrap metal, working on farms, and even decoding messages (like the British Codebreakers, some of whom were in their teens or early 20s).
5. The War Helped Invent… Microwave Ovens?
Yep! Radar research during WWII led to the invention of the microwave oven when a scientist noticed a chocolate bar melted in his pocket near radar equipment.
But my best advice to kids is to read the stories of the people who experienced it at the time. Listen to their voices – I think you can learn most from those.
Those are fascinating facts – thank you! How did you go about re-creating London in 1939 in your book? What sights, sounds, and smells did you want the reader to experience?
I think all authors want their stories to be as immersive as possible and the best way to do that is by helping the reader imagine the setting. Again, the research was integral to this – listening to those first-hand accounts and understanding what it was like really helped me to build a picture. Getting the sounds and smells of an air raid was really important to me as those scenes were big moments in the book.
Absolutely, those air raids in 'Shrapnel Boys' really stand out in our memory! What was it like having your story reviewed by the Imperial War Museum?
It was a huge honour and quite nerve wracking! I’m so glad they agreed – and realise how fortunate I am to benefit from their expertise. I really didn’t want to make any mistakes with regards to historical accuracy!
And finally, how do you bring history to life for children?
I think it’s important to focus on people and tell their stories. I think if children can step into the shoes of a child in the past it helps create a deeper connection to history. Stating that 31,000 bombs fell on London during the Blitz is a staggering fact, but reading the account of a boy who lived through an air raid will not only have much more impact but expand the meaning of those 31,000 bombs.
Thanks Jenny, we know children and grown-ups are gonna love 'Shrapnel Boys'!
