*Shortlisted

Review by Lucas, Coombe Dean School 
Barbara Henderson has written a gripping narrative that talks about the unsung heroes of truly significant occasions. In this instance, we hear about Andrew de Moray and his role in the Scottish wars of Independence. Not only this but the fictional character ‘Harry the Hand’ gives us not only a perspective of how important Andrew de Moray is in history but also the feelings that less important roles have been feelings. The character of Harry has a function to deliver the emotional journey that 'commoners’ will have had. Henderson has crated these characters extremely well. 

An unexpected, intriguing thing I found was the title: “To War with Wallace”. After reading the novel, I queried to myself on what it could mean. Some of my thoughts are as follows: “Is the title saying that Wallace went to war from the English perspective”, “Was it referring to the fact that Andrew de Moray was largely forgotten compared to Wallace and so was it Andrew challenging Wallace that it is his time to shine”, “Or maybe Henderson was trying to say that de Moray went to war at the English with Wallace” I found these rather interesting perspectives to think about. 

The last point that I will make is that this has sparked an interest in the topic of Scottish rebellions because of the interesting rebellious actions, the emotionally deep plot, and the hierarchies between the characters, all of which combine to create the perfect recreation of this unsung hero (Hamilton esc) in interesting historical context.  

Review by Angelo, Corpus Christi Catholic High School 
I really enjoyed the book because there was a lot of tension from the start between Harry and the prisoner. It was very interesting as it was set in 1297 in the Scottish wars of Independence with the boy, Harry, being taken there by the Scottish nobleman. I liked the character Harry as he was only an orphan working as an armourer and then suddenly, he is with a prisoner. I didn’t really like the guard at the start who forced Harry to go on to guard, at 13 years old, one of the most dangerous prisoners. I learned a lot about the 12th century, the people and culture. The plot was exciting and thought provoking as I was wondering how the relationship would develop between the two of them. What stands out most in the book is the trust between Andrew Moray and Harry, as they are practically strangers. I would definitely recommend the book to other pupils as the tension rises rapidly. A new fact that I learned is what an armourer is alongside other jobs during the 12th Century. 

Review by Christiana, Stanground Academy 
To War with Wallace is a captivating and action-packed historical adventure that brings the Scottish Wars of Independence to life for young readers. Told through the eyes of Harry who is a young apprentice armourer. Harry becomes unexpectedly swept up in the fight for freedom, after helping the Scottish nobleman Andrew de Moray escape. The story blends exciting battles, daring escapes and moral dilemmas with real history.