Operation Doodlebug, the forthcoming middle-grade debut novel by twice-Carnegie nominated author Tia Fisher, has been praised in a review by The Bookseller.

The Bookseller writes: “Operation Doodlebug is a story full of heart, courage, and friendship. Based on a true story, and featuring well-researched representation of working class and disabled characters, Fisher’s gripping Second World War novel follows Stan and the search for his father while living in Blitz-era Croydon. A future classic.”

It’s 1944 and Stan’s hopes of keeping his family together until the war is over are shattered when his father signs up to fight. Left with his mother in Croydon as Hitler sends over waves of V1 rockets, Stan suffers endless air-raid sirens and long nights in the cramped Anderson shelter they share with their neighbours.

Then comes the news they were dreading: his father is missing, presumed killed. But Stan refuses to give up hope, and when a mysterious piece of doodlebug shrapnel holds crucial information from a prisoner of war, he and his friends run away to track down the truth.

A gripping World War Two adventure based on true events in the Doodlebug Summer of 1944, from Carnegie Shadower’s Choice winner Tia Fisher and illustrated with impactful black-and-white art by Manuel Šumberac, this is a novel perfect for fans of Phil Earle and Michael Morpurgo.

Operation Doodlebug will be released in paperback and ebook in the UK on 5th November 2026. Order your copy here or, better, via your local bookstore and bookshop.org.

Follow Tia on Bluesky @tiafisher.bsky.social.