The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

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 show more 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+. show less

The Amazing Story Of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo is about a girl, her cat, D day training and a friendship with an American soldier. It's framed with a letter received by a boy named Michael from his beloved grandmother as she heads out on her first adventure in a long time. She includes her diary of the time her village was forced to relocate for D-Day training as an explanation for her current actions.

Most of the story then is Lily's flashback. Her father is a pilot in the war and now she and her family are being forced to pack up their belongings. The entire town is to be evacuated so it can be used for D-Day training by American troops using live ammunition.

Tips, the family cat, doesn't keep with the plan and runs off after show more they've evacuated. It's Lily's attempts to rescue her cat that give her the chance to meet the Americans. One of them, a young soldier named Adie becomes her good friend.

How all these different events in Lily's childhood play out and how they relate to her present day actions is explained by the end of the book. It was a fascinating and sometimes heart stopping read. The ending took me by surprise (as well it should). show less

Based on my reading in 2011 or War Horse and Private Peaceful, it's fair to say that Michael Morpurgo is one of my favourite Young Adult authors, but unfortunately, I can't say this is one of my favourite books by him. Set against the backdrop of WWII, the story is set in 1943. Twelve-year-old Lily lives on a farm close to the seaside in and English village. Her father is away with the army, and she and her classmates have to put up with the "townie" evacuees at school, but otherwise the war seems far away. Until one day, Lily and her family and all the other villagers are notified that they have fifteen days to evacuate their homes and relocate. The Allied forces intend to use the village and it's ideal seaside location to practice for show more their landing in Normandy, better known as D-Day. Lily meets with a young American soldier and instantly takes a liking to him. He's the first black man she's ever seen, and she soon grows very fond of Adie. One of Lily's greatest concern is that her beloved cat, Tips, has gone missing and she is worried Tips might be harmed in one of the army's practice exercises, when guns and real bombs are used. But Adie has promised Lily that Tips will come home unharmed and she is inclined to trust the young soldier. The story is told by a young boy who's grandmother has given him her girlhood diary to read, so that most of the story is narrated from the point of view of a twelve-year old girl. It's a sweet story, and the ending definitely struck a sentimental chord with me, but I guess my biggest problem with this novel is that I kept waiting for something Amazing to happen to Tips, and felt let down in that sense. I was bothered by the voice of a twelve year-old girl and her seemingly silly concerns, and felt at times that this book was truly best left to young girls to read.

On the audiobook version, Morpurgo read the afterword, informing the reader of some of the facts the story was based on. One incident which is related in the narrative alludes to Operation Tiger, an incident which was kept under wraps for many years. This information augmented my appreciation of the novel. I should also say that, I've just now found out that the book is based on Morpurgo's and his grandmother's real-life experiences, which again, has raised my appreciation of the novel quite a lot. I just wish the title hadn't misled me, as I might have appreciated the story quite a bit more. show less

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.

This is a lovely, charming story of a young girl and the adjustments she had to make during a particular time during WWII. Lily, her mother and grandfather have to tend to their farm without the help of her father, who joined the British Army. It is difficult having a number of unfamiliar London children as part of their community. Then there is the influx of American soldiers in their small town. Lily must navigate these unsure and scary times, but she knows that she always has her faithful cat Tips with her. The characters are all down to earth individuals, likable and ones you come to care about. It is not overly sentimental but will bring tears to your eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed Lily's tale and would definitely recommend to anyone show more needing a good historical fiction novel for a school assignment. show less

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 show more 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. show less