Reading

The list of books below are a part of the armed forces covenant collection, which provides support for young people, whose friends or family members are serving in the armed forces.

Veterans' Gateway

Veterans’ Gateway is made up of a consortium of organisations and Armed Forces charities, including The Royal British Legion, SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, Poppyscotland, Combat Stress and Connect Assist. Funded by The Armed Forces Covenant, this is the first time a group of this kind has come together formally to deliver a service to help the Armed Forces community.

Soldiers: How to Draw by Mark Bergin 

From an Imperial Guard to a British World War I soldier, a wide variety of soldiers are covered in this simple step-by-step drawing book. Learn how to master action poses and different uniforms, whilst learning about perspective and fundamental drawing techniques and materials.

Billie Templar's War by Ellie Irving

Billie Templar desperately wants her dad to come home. He's a soldier and has been away for seven weeks, fighting for Queen and country but how can the two of them possibly defend their four-year record of winning the three-legged race at the school carnival if he's thousands of miles away? Billie decides that there's only one person who can help - Her Majesty. She's in charge of the army, so maybe she can send Dad home? With a little help from her friends, Billie hatches a plan to get the Queen to visit her village. Surely a home-made military tattoo should be enough to get her attention? But trying to control two marching bands, an unruly mob of old age pensioners and even an elephant proves to be more difficult than she thought. Will the tattoo be happy and glorious? Or is Billie heading for a right royal disaster?

My Daddy is going away by Christopher MacGregor

When Daddy goes away, everyone feels sad and wishes he were back home with his family. But love is a very powerful thing, and there are all kinds of ways to try to feel better. As they count down the days on a calendar, the special day when Daddy is coming home gets nearer and nearer. Helps families better understand the anxieties associated with temporary paternal separation. The story can be read on many levels young children can read it as a comforting tale of a loving Dad who has to go away to work, while parents or carers can additionally use each verse to explore the emotional cycle of departure, absence and return. Written by Lieutenant Colonel Christopher MacGregor and based on his own experiences of going away from home, this comforting, wise book helps to explain why parents sometimes have to go away and shows ways to help children cope.

A Million Angels by Kate Maryon

Jemima's dad's in the Army and he's off to Afghanistan again for six whole months. Her mum's about to have another baby and has not got the energy to worry about anything else. Gran is staying to help out, but her head is filled with her own wartime memories. So while Mima is sending Dad millions of guardian angels every night to keep him safe, who is looking out for her?

Combat Zone (Rugby Academy) by Tom Palmer

Woody's mad on football. He dreams of playing for his country one day. But Woody's dad is a fighter pilot, and his squadron are going to war. All of a sudden, Woody finds himself in a boarding school for armed forces kids. Where everyone is rugby mad. As Woody's dad does his duty thousands of miles away, Woody finds himself in a new world. Will rugby be his saviour? Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+

Surface to Air (Rugby Academy) by Tom Palmer

Rory will stop at nothing to perfect his kicking. He'll keep on training long after other players have called it a day. But now Rory is in France with the Borderlands team, and his routine is shot. As the European Championship gets underway, Rory struggles to keep his head while everything seems set against him. Can Rory kick to win? Second instalment of Tom Palmer's action-packed rugby trilogy set against the backdrop of war. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+

Wings: Flyboy (Take to the Skies) by Tom Palmer

Jatinder seems to be living his dream - he's training for his team's youth squad, and his host parents Steve and Esther are really great. But the other kids are always on the alert for anything that makes a player different, and Jatinder is definitely that. Steve reckons it's good to be different - look at his own hero, Hardit Singh Malik. That night Jatinder wakes up in a seriously surprising situation - flying Hardit's WWI fighter plane into enemy airspace.

Come Home Soon: a first look at a parent in the armed forces by Pat Thomas

This reassuring picture book explores the issue of a parent working away from home in the armed forces. Young children can learn how to deal feelings of worry, change at home, keeping in touch and looking forward to their return. Children's feelings and questions are looked at in a simple but realistic way.

Please visit the online catalogue to search and reserve for any of the above books. You will also need a Coventry Library card, don't have one? Join Coventry libraries today.