Why the Whales Came
Michael Morpurgo
 Gracie and Daniel, two young children, live on the island of Bryher in the Isles of Scilly at the beginning of World War I. Their parents warn them not to go to near the Birdman, who lives on the south side of the island. There are rumours that the Birdman is mad and dangerous. However, Gracie and Daniel end up on the south side of the island when they cannot find a place to sail their boats then eventually run into him. The Birdman turns out to be friendly and they begin a secret friendship with the old man. He alerts them when a large deposit of timber from a wrecked ship is deposited on one of the island's beaches, and the islanders manage to hide the timber before customs officers from St Mary's arrive. The Birdman warns them in turn to stay away from the island of Samson, which he says is cursed. According to his story, a large school of whales were washed ashore on the island and were massacred by the islanders. This led to a number of misfortunes, including the well drying up, which eventually made the island uninhabitable. The curse can only be lifted when the guilt of Samson is redeemed. As luck would have it, during a fishing trip, Gracie and Daniel end up stranded on Samson, which appears to be haunted. When they return home, they hear that Gracie's father has disappeared while fighting at Gallipoli. Soon after, a school of whales are washed ashore on Bryher, and it appears that Bryher will suffer the same fate as Samson. Gracie and Daniel try to stop the whales from being slaughtered, and eventually succeed when joined by their mother. As a result, the curse of Samson is lifted and the islanders of Bryher are able to visit it. Finally, Gracie's father returns home, having miraculously survived.