Stay Where You Are And Then Leave by John Boyne

Stay Where You Are And Then Leave by John Boyne. Henry Holt, 2014. 245 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) and up

Alfie Summerfield is five when the war starts—July 18, 1914, his birthday. Too young to know that his cozy London neighborhood is about to change forever, but old enough to tell that the guests at his birthday party aren’t in a party mood. The main topic of conversation concerns whether Alfie’s dad, Georgie, should join up. A few weeks later Dad joins up, departs for training and then for the battlefield in France. As the months go on his letters become more incoherent and desperate: Help me, Margie, can’t you? Help me. They said it would be over by Christmas. They just didn’t say which Christmas. Finally the letters dry up altogether. Is Georgie on a secret mission, as Mum says? Or is he wounded or dead? Four years pass…

This is a heart-rending little story, even though it ends happily.  Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (about a Holocaust victim), knows how to handle difficult material. Alfie (now age 9) finally discovers his father’s whereabouts: not a battlefield but a hospital, recovering—or trying to—from shell-shock. Georgie’s condition has rendered him unable to make decisions so the father-son roles are reversed. In fact, Alfie turns out to be more decisive than both his parents, perhaps because he’s too young to know what he’s up against. His bold plan to rescue his father is far-fetched but will have readers cheering for him as he challenges the status quo. Subplots involve neighborhood bigotry against “foreigners” and pacifists. Language may be an issue (see cautions), but strong character values like persistence, hard work, and courage are rewarded.

Overall value: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.75
• Artistic value: 4

Cautions: Language (some misuse of God’s name in moments of stress; two curse words, one vulgar word for urine), Dark/Depressing (scenes in hospital ward)

Categories: Historical fiction, Middle Grades, Discussion Starter (see questions below), History

Discussion points:

• Literary element: How does Alfie’s point of view at the beginning of the story reflect his very young age? How does his point of view change over the course of the story?
• Thematic element: How does the author present the pacifist character? Is he admirable? In what ways?
• Worldview element: If this story were your only source of information about World War I, how would you describe the war?