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Theresa Breslin: I set out to walk the footsteps of the soldiers of the Great War

Kezzie at War

Two touching, remarkable stories of hope featuring a brave, indomitable girl named Kezzie, from critically-acclaimed author Theresa Breslin.

A remarkable story of hope and determination in the face of seemingly unsurmountable odds, which lingers in the mind long after the book is laid aside

This book really makes you understand how lucky we are not to be living in the poverty-stricken 1930s. We get a vivid picture of what it must be like to have little money or food

THERESA BRESLIN is the Carnegie Medal winning author of over thirty books for children &amp; young adults whose work has appeared on stage, radio and TV. Her books are hugely popular with young people, librarians and teachers. Remembrance, her top selling YA novel of youth in WW1, has now been reissued to include Book Notes. The Dream Master was shortlisted for the Children's Book Award. Divided City was shortlisted for ten book awards, winning two outright.

During the 1930s Depression in Scotland, Kezzie and her young sister Lucy are luckier than most. Following their father's death, they manage to stay together and live on the little work Kezzie and Grandad are able to find. But life turns sour when Lucy goes missing. Without hesitation, Kezzie sets off alone to find her sister, a difficult journey which takes her over the Atlantic to Canada . . . 
 
In the second story, Kezzie and Lucy are reunited with Grandad in Clydebank. The Second World War breaks out, and the family spirit is put to the test. Kezzie's strength is needed by so many - she must save an Italian family from the racial hatred they encounter, and rescue her old school friend Peg. As Clydebank is bombed and becomes a burning inferno, will Kezzie be strong enough to turn a tragedy into a triumph?

The Rasputin Dagger

Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin returns with an extraordinary story of love, loss and friendship set during the chaos and turmoil of the Russian Revolution

A thrilling tale of political action and love . . . Breslin evokes compassion for the hapless Imperial family, without losing sense of the crisis facing Russia’s people, and seamlessly inserts her characters into the events leading to the rise of the Bolsheviks

Theresa Breslin gives a gripping account of Nina’s life in St Petersburg amongst the growing unrest of The Russian Revolution, seamlessly blending historical events and traditional folk tales with a dramatic plot. This meticulously researched book is a must-read for historical fiction fans and a great way to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution.

Scottish Book Trust (Children's Book of the Month)

Breslin's young adult book takes on some big themes from Russian history and makes them accessible to all.

Rich with historical detail this fascinating and epic tale will sweep you away whilst reminding us of the chaos and turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Riveting.

There will no doubt be many more novels about the [Russian] revolution this year and this will be at the forefront.

[A] wonderful historical novel, filled with fear and violence, starvation and romance.

There are thrills and surprises along the way, and the invented characters mingle with those taken from the historical record. The novel is a very good way to introduce young adults to these extraordinary people.

I absolutely loved The Rasputin Dagger. [I] completely fell in love with the writing in The Rasputin Dagger, and I will definitely be diving into more stories by [Breslin]. Breslin really is an expert storyteller; she reeled me into her world of revolutionary Russia, and I was very sad to leave it at the end of the book.

Theresa has woven her magic again! Everything felt so real (probably because some of it was). Be sure to add this to your book collection - its now on [my] reread shelf!

The Rasputin Dagger was my first historical YA in a while, and I was really craving a good one. Luckily it 
delivered! I found it totally immersive . . . I adored the way politics was woven in, something which is often neglected or glossed over in YA books.

Shortlisted for the Historical Association's Young Quills Award 2018 
 
Russia, 1916. 
 
Nina Ivanovna’s world is in turmoil. Her only hope is to travel to St Petersburg, to escape the past and find a future. 
 
Stefan Kolodin is a medical student – young and idealistic, he wants change for Russia and its people. 
 
Amidst the chaos of a city in revolt, their lives collide. And a stormy relationship develops . . . full of passion and politics. 
 
But soon Nina is drawn in to the glamorous, lavish lives of the Russian royal family – where she begins to fall under the spell of their mysterious monk, Grigory Rasputin. The ruby-studded dagger he carries – beautiful and deadly – could save her and Stefan from a cursed life 
 
. . . or condemn them to it. 
 
‘An outstanding writer – simply superb’ Independent

Caged

Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin explores the dangerous world of cage-fighting in this dark and powerful new novel.

This is a brilliantly written story . . . a very satisfying read and one of the best books that I've had from Theresa. It is thoroughly engaging and based on a great concept.

Carnegie Medal winner Theresa Breslin explores the dangerous world of cage-fighting in this dark and powerful new novel. 
 
Escaping from a troubled home and struggling to survive on the streets, the abandoned tunnels of the London Underground are a perfect sanctuary for Kai. Along with other teenagers running from their pasts, he finds somewhere to belong in this strange community of outcasts. 
 
But Kai is now facing a very different kind of fight. Every night, led by the enigmatic Spartacus, the runaways must become cage fighters, each fight broadcast to the outside world via YouTube. With pay-per-view profits racking up, Kai and his friends hope to be able to start a new life. 
 
Yet treachery and danger are never far behind, and a new arrival threatens the order that Spartacus has worked so carefully to maintain. And then there is the looming finale, the last battle between Kai and his nemesis Leo: the Kill Fight . . .

WW1 story

Ghost Soldier

A thrilling, poignant story of hope and loss set during World War 1, from Carnegie Medal-winning author Theresa Breslin.

Full of authentic background, believable characters and a Scottish setting, this is another must-read novel by one of Scotland’s finest writers

A thrilling, poignant story of hope and loss set during World War 1, from Carnegie Medal-winning author Theresa Breslin. 
 
Nobody believes in ghosts until they see one . . . 
 
The war has changed everything for Rob and Millie. Their father is missing in action and they are terrified they’ll never see him again. 
 
Then one night, deep in the woods, Rob and Millie see an eerie figure in the window of an abandoned house. 
 
But there’s no such thing as ghosts, is there?

Dream Master: Arabian Nights

Travel to Ancient Arabia in this fourth title in the gripping Dream Master series from a Carnegie Medal winner, Theresa Breslin.

In the fourth adventure from Carnegie Medal-winner Breslin, Cy takes a magic carpet ride with a famous Arabian princess, landing himself in a pot of imaginative trouble!

Cy's fourth adventure with his Dream Master is as fast and as funny as before

A stretching and rewarding read for nine to thirteen-year-olds

Every dream has a Dream Master to control it. But Cy has such a vivid imagination that he has met his Dream Master and can travel with him through Time and Space to actually live his dreams. But what would happen if a character from Cy's dream decided to come and live in his Time and Space? Well Cy's about to find out. He's accidentally conjured up the Princess Shahr-Azad from Ancient Arabia - creator of the 1001 tales of Arabian Nights. Cy and the Dream Master are keen to return the Princess back to her home, before she is discovered. Trouble is, the princess isn't keen to go back. She'd much rather stay and enter the upcoming TV talent contest and she's prepared to go to great lengths to get her own way. So begins a battle of wills (and imaginations) between the greatest storyteller of all time, and the timid but determined Cy. With flying carpets, Arabian dungeons and a trouble-making genie Cy's fourth adventure with his Dream Master is as fast and funny as before.

Remembrance

An unforgettable novel from a Carnegie Medal-winning author about the devastating effects of World War One on the lives of five young people.

An immensely readable, passionately written epic, with an involving, fast-moving plot constantly challenging readers' assumptions

Young readers will find themselves swept along with Breslin's engaging cast into a world where duty and compassion must somehow co-exist

Breslin brilliantly weaves the themes of emancipation, class, love, propaganda and the machinations of war into the story of how these young lives are changed with a light touch that belies the seriousness of the subject

Breslin's light touch and beautiful prose give the harrowing sights and sounds of the war a much more human feel . . . A novel that will stay with me for a long time

Theresa Breslin is simply a superb writer and I strongly recommend this novel to all readers

Scotland, 1915. A group of teenagers from two families meet for a picnic, but the war across the Channel is soon to tear them away from such youthful pleasures. All too soon, the horror of what is to become known as The Great War engulfs them, their friends and the whole village. From the horror of the trenches, to the devastating reality seen daily by those nursing the wounded, they struggle to survive - and nothing will ever be the same again. 
 
A powerful and engrossing novel about love and war, from Carnegie Medal-winning author Theresa Breslin.

Theresa Breslin

Lesley Barnes

A novel that will stay with me for a long time

An immensely readable, passionately written epic

[B]rilliantly weaves themes of emancipation, class, love, propaganda and the machinations of war

Imperial War Museum Anniversary Edition

Scotland, 1915. A group of teenagers from very different backgrounds meet for an idyllic picnic, but the war across the Channel is proving increasingly impossible to ignore, and all too soon they will be engulfed by The Great War. 
 
Determined to forge their own paths during a time of enormous upheaval, the five friends encounter not only the horrors of the trenches, but also the thrum of first love, and the political struggles of pacifism and women's rights. Their lives will be changed forever - and nothing will ever be the same again.

Theresa Breslin

Praise for Remembrance

A novel that will stay with me for a long time

An immensely readable, passionately written epic

[B]rilliantly weaves themes of emancipation, class, love, propaganda and the machinations of war

A novel that will stay with me for a long time

An immensely readable, passionately written epic

[B]rilliantly weaves themes of emancipation, class, love, propaganda and the machinations of war

A novel that will stay with me for a long time

An immensely readable, passionately written epic

[B]rilliantly weaves themes of emancipation, class, love, propaganda and the machinations of war

Books by Theresa Breslin

Series by Theresa Breslin

Dream Master

Articles featuring Theresa Breslin

Theresa Breslin: I set out to walk the footsteps of the soldiers of the Great War

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