Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Stay Where You Are & then Leave, by John Boyne | Book Review

    Elizabeth VaradanBy Elizabeth Varadan3 Mins Read Ages 9-12 Books with Boy Characters Chapter Books Health
    Stay Where You Are And Then Leave
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Elizabeth Varadan | The Children’s Book Review | January 7, 2016

    Stay Where You Are And Then LeaveStay Where You Are & then Leave

    Written by John Boyne

    Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

    Age Range: 9 – 12 years

    Paperback: 256 pages

    Publisher: Square Fish (2015, Reprint)

    ISBN-13: 978-1250062864

    What to Expect: A young boy’s coming of age during World War I and its aftermath; examples of courage and devotion; a father’s reaction to post traumatic stress syndrome.

    Alfie Summerfield turns five on the July day that war breaks out. When his father, Georgie, enlists, Alfie’s mother is devastated, but Georgie assures everyone the war will be over by Christmas.

    Four Christmases later, the war shows no sign of being over. Alfie’s once friendly neighborhood has been changed by the deaths of sons and husbands. Alfie’s granny across the street and other neighbors despise Joe Patience for being a conscientious objector. Alfie’s best friend and her father have been taken away as “persons of interest” because they were from Germany. Alfie’s mother has evasive explanations for why Georgie’s letters have stopped coming.

    To make ends meet, she works long hours as a nurse at the local hospital, leaving Alfie to supervise himself. Deciding he has to earn some money as the man of the house, he cuts school to earn money shining shoes at King Cross train station. And there, by accident, Alfie learns his father is a patient at a hospital for shell-shocked soldiers.

    The author’s understated style makes this story all the more searing. Alfie is by turns resigned to how his world has changed, and naively heroic in how he plans to remedy things. Boyne’s deft nuances let us see a world turned upside down through the eyes of a nine-year-old struggling to assume responsibilities beyond his years.

    All the other characters are beautifully drawn: Alfie’s mother, Margie, who tries to protect him from knowledge of his father’s condition; feisty Granny Summerfield; Joe Patience, a gentle giant. And most of all, Georgie, who has returned from the war stunned out of living, frightened of loud noises, part of his mind still back in his foxhole where soldiers line up to follow each other into certain death. While the story has a hopeful ending, the journey Alfie takes lingers in the mind long afterwards.

    “Alfie tried not to laugh. Sometimes adults asked the stupidest questions. He’d never been on a holiday in his life. He wasn’t even entirely sure what you did on one. Was it the same things you did on any other day, only in a different location?”

    Stay Where You Are & Then Leave will appeal to middle grade readers interested in twentieth century history, life in England during World War I; also anyone who has had to deal with a parent changed by trauma.

    Add this book to your collection: Stay Where You Are & then Leave

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on Amazon

    About the Author

    John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971 and is the author of seven novels. Boyne’s celebrated The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was winner of the Irish Book Award Children’s Book of the Year, as well as numerous other awards and commendations. It was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the International IMPAC Literary Award and was made into a Miramax feature film. His novels are published in over 40 languages. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

    JohnBoyne.com | Twitter | Facebook

    Stay Where You Are & The Leave, written by John Boyne and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, was reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan. Discover more books like Stay Where You Are & The Leave by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Middle Grade Books, John Boyne, Oliver Jeffers, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and World War I.

    What to Read Next:

    1. Me & Mr. Bell: A Novel, by Philip Roy | Book Review
    2. Seven Middle Grade Books for African American History Month
    3. My Writing and Reading Life: Eric Pierpoint
    4. Vince Vawter Discusses Paperboy

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Courage England Historical Fiction John Boyne Middle Grade Books Oliver Jeffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder World War I
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleCircus Mirandus, by Cassie Beasley | Book Review
    Next Article The Children’s Book Review’s Book Trends | January 2016
    Elizabeth Varadan
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Elizabeth Varadan writes for children and adults. Her middle-grade mystery, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls (published June 15, 2015), is set in Victorian London and she is currently working on Book Two. Varadan loves to read and write about the Victorian Era and blogs about the many things she uncovers in her research. Visit: elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com and victorianscribbles.blogspot.com

    1 Comment

    1. swethabaskar on July 18, 2023 5:39 am

      Nice post.

      Reply
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Interview with P. E. Shadrick, Author of ‘Elephants DO Forget’
    • Sparking Peace, by Teresa Kim Pecinovsky and Hannah Rose Marti | Awareness Tour
    • Elephants DO Forget: How Emory Found His Memory | Dedicated Review
    • Interview with J.E. Thomas, Author of ‘The AI Incident’
    • Best Chef in Town, by Lori Rotter | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.