Difference between revisions of "The Tin Snail by Cameron McAllister"
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Revision as of 08:46, 8 May 2014
| The Tin Snail by Cameron McAllister | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: High-spirited story of the creation of one of the first "people's cars" - the CV2. Based on truth but with a sprinkle of magic, this is a fun story for every reader. We loved it. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 400 | Date: May 2014 |
| Publisher: Cape | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 0857551299 | |
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It's France at the 1938 Paris Motor Show. A wonderful new car has been unveiled: the Deux Chevaux or 2CV for short. It looks a bit odd and is nicknamed Tin Snail but this is a car for the people: functional, reliable, affordable. And its inventor is just 13 years old! But WWII is about to break out and France is about to be occupied by the Germans. The Tin Snail must face a perilous journey - to carry a farmer and his wife, a flagon of wine and a tray of eggs, across a bumpy field in a sleepy French village without spilling a drop or cracking a shell - and then go into hiding...
... the Nazis must never find the prototypes or the designs - despite the best efforts of a German officer intent on discovery.
What follows is a madcap tale of adventure and magic.
Truly, I loved this delightful novel. It's intended for middle grade readers but people of all ages will love it. It's based on a true story but McAllister has changed a great deal, creating a book that will entertain and enthuse almost every reader I can think of. My press blurb says that it has a dash of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, a pinch of HUGO, and a sprinkling of DAD'S ARMY and I would say that's about right. It might be set in France but it feels rather British: full of pluck and bravado plus a little bit of slapstick.
The head of Citroen, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, really did order the destruction of all the 2CV prototypes when WWII broke out. And two designers really did hide three of them in a sleepy French village. Boulanger also did move the oil marks on dipsticks so that the cars he was forced to make for the occupying Germans broke down frequently. What a guy! And his is a true story that should be told to a wider audience. Even so, I defy you not to be entranced by McAllister's take on it. Imagine if the 2CV really had been invented by 13-year-old boy!
Recommended.
You might also enjoy Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale, a super old-fashioned adventure story set in 1929, featuring murder, mayhem, scam adverts and medical malpractice.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Tin Snail by Cameron McAllister at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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