A writer’s talent is a gift from the gods, but a talent to write for children and be understood and appreciated by them is a double gift. David Almond is one of those – rare - doubly gifted writers. His classic novel for young persons, Skellig (Salani), has been translated into forty languages, has been adapted for stage, radio and the screen. There is even an opera based on it. But today we want to mention especially his latest novel, War Is Over, a very moving tale set during what used to be called the Great War—World War One. The central character, John, cannot understand how, since he is a child, he can be ‘at war’, as his teacher assures him he is. John’s father is fighting in the trenches, and his mother works in a munitions factory. One day, John meets a little boy like himself—like him, except that Jan is a German. It is a very moving story, lent additional pathos in these days, when we see every night on our television screens the terrified eyes of the children of Ukraine. But War Is Over is full of hope for the future in which children like John will grow up still asking the question: How can I be at war with my fellow man? As David Almond has said, ‘When I write stories, I feel a connection with the very young, who will build a better tomorrow.’ David Almond stories together form a thread of hope