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The Butterfly LionMichael Morpurgo
The Butterfly Lion
by Michael Morpurgo
A boy running away from school meets an old woman who tells him about a white lion cub raised in Africa, sold to a circus, and never forgotten.
A story about children and animals, moving and gentle in tone. We would put it with children of 8–11, and at a reading age of about 9 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Death in wartime
- An animal dies
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Farm BoyMichael Morpurgo
The Amazing Story of Adolphus TipsMichael Morpurgo
The Elephant in the GardenMichael Morpurgo
War HorseMichael Morpurgo
The Miraculous Journey of Edward TulaneKate DiCamillo
The Wreck of the ZanzibarMichael Morpurgo
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.