Operation Doodlebug, the forthcoming middle-grade debut novel by Carnegie Shadower’s Choice winner Tia Fisher, has been praised by School Reading List in their recent Autumn 2026 roundup.

The review, which you can read here, says:

“It’s perfect for 9+ fans of Michael Morpurgo. Highly recommended”.

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.

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.