I was a bit disappointed with this. At the risk of spoilers, this is not really about the cat displayed prominently on the cover - it's about the narrator Lily Tregenza, her wartime experiences, and her friendship with Adie, a black American soldier. The ending is quite heartwarming, but this didn't really connect with me emotionally as much as do most of Morpurgo's other books (except insofar as interracial marriages always make me feel more hopeful about the human race). ( )

[This is a review I wrote in 2008]

**A heartwarming story - I couldn't put it down.**

Michael Morpurgo has written yet another brilliant story with 'The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips'.

It's the story of Lily Tregenza who, in 1943, lives on the family farm on the coast of Devon with her mum and grandfather. Her dad's away in the army. Lily has a cat called Tips, and when the family are forced to move from their home for several months while the army take over the area as a training ground Lily's beloved Tips runs away and gets left behind. Lily is heartbroken but will not give up her search for Tips and she enters the cordoned-off Danger Zone to look for Tips herself - a very dangerous place to be...

It's a lovely story. Written in a simple, easy-to-read style, yet granting the reader a true insight into the Second World War from a child's perspective in the countryside. We also learn at the outset of the story that there's going to be a twist to Lily's tale right at the end, so as long as you don't cheat and peek at the end, it makes for a really compulsive read.

Michael Morpurgo reminds us that 3000 people really were evacuated from their homes around Slapton Sands in Devon, so that the troops could practice landing exercises along the beaches. The beaches there were similar to the landing beaches in Normandy, used for the D-Day landings of June 1944.

I can highly recommend the story of Adolphus Tips for all ages from 8+. ( )

I believe that if a story is good it can hold your attention and enthral you no matter your age, race, religion. This book is no exception. Whilst aimed at 10-14yr olds, it is a story of devotion, courage and friendship during the lead up to D-Day in WW2. Told in diary form, Lily recounts a point in her childhood that taught her a great deal about life. A good quick read for adults, and a good read for children too. ( )

En ramhistoria om en pojke och hennes farmor. När farfadern dör efter att varit sjuk nästan hela pojkens uppväxt drar farmodern sig snart ut på en resa. Ingen vet var hon har åkt, men så kommer brevet till honom med delar av hennes gamla dagbok från när hon var en flicka under kriget. Dagboken nystar upp den fantastiska historien om katten som försvann i ett militariserat södra England som förberedde sig på D-day.

En fantastisk bok på många sätt. Sällan har en kortare barnbok fått mig att känna så oerhört mycket inom loppet av några sidor, utan berättelsen behöver överdrivas nämnvärt. Det är omöjligt att inte fastna i berättelsen om ett England under kriget sett från en 12-årig flickas perspektiv, där irritationen över begränsad tillgång på sötsaker varieras med oron över en pappa som är borta i kriget och katten Tips. Det är en bok om vardagen i kriget från ett barns perspektiv, det är en historia om en underbart modig katt och en flickas kärlek till sitt husdjur. Det är också en berättelse om släkthistoria.

Dagboksformen funkar utmärkt i det här sammanhanget, det blir betydligt lättare att förstå, om någon vuxen finns till hands för att förklara lite basala fakta om andra världskriget och kanske ett och annat gammaldags ord. Läs och njut själv, eller med stor fördel som högläsning eller egenläsning i klassen. Passar som handen i handsken i samband med arbeten om släkthistoria alternativt andra världskriget. ( )

The Amazing Story of Adolphis Tips is a great historical fiction read for young students. The story is mainly written in dairy entries from Lily that she has shared with her grandson years later. It tells of her life back during the war and having to move from her home all mixed in with her own love story and Tips's misadventures. I think this book is a great read for young children because sometimes history class can bore them right out of their seats. But if while they are studying WWII or D-day in social studies they could also be reading this book in Reading to get another view of the war. Instead of just seeing facts and facts they can read a fictional account of a personal time during the war.
To integrate another subject into the social studies and reading ELA could also be added. The class could work on writing their own diary entries as if they were living where Lily did during the time of the war. This could be a writing activity for students and help enrich all areas of learning in the classroom. ( )