Midnight: True Story of Loyalty in World War I
Written by Mark Greenwood
Illustrated by Frané Lessac
War brings many unexpected victims, including animals taken to war to do jobs humans are unable to do. In this true tale from World War I, the reader learns about a horse who went to war with her owner, Guy Haydon. She was born on a ranch in New South Wales, Australia. Of course, horses can’t go to all the places where battles rage, so Midnight was separated from her master for a time during the battle of Gallipoli. When they were reunited, they helped lead the Beersheba charge, part of the campaign to take Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire. When both Midnight and Guy go down from a single bullet, they stay together until help comes. Lessac’s lively and colorful illustrations add to the story and help give the feeling of being there.
First grade readers will learn about World War I, ranches in Australia, and the jobs that horses do. The book is a candidate for reading aloud to generate further discussion. Literacy skills will be enhanced when kids want to find out what happened to Midnight. The author includes notes about the Haydon ranch and about the charge at Beersheba for further learning.
Title: Midnight: A True Story of Loyalty in World War I- Author: Mark Greenwood
- Illustrator: Frané Lessac
- Published: Candlewick Press, 2015
- Reviewer: Sue Poduska
- Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
- Grade Level: Pre-K to 3
- Genre: Nonfiction, animals, war
- ISBN: 978-0-7636-7466-3
- Extras: Author’s Note, The Charge at Beersheba
