Tomorrow, When the War Began facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | John Marsden |
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| Cover artist | Helen Halliday |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Tomorrow series |
| Genre | Young adult Action Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan (Australia) |
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Publication date
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1993 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 286 |
| Followed by | The Dead of The Night |
Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first book in the popular Tomorrow series. It was written by John Marsden and came out in 1993. This exciting book is for young adults and tells a story about a country being invaded. It describes a time when a foreign army takes over parts of Australia. The story is told by a teenage girl named Ellie Linton. She and her friends form a small group fighting against the invaders in their town, Wirrawee.
The book Tomorrow, When the War Began was also made into a movie. The film came out on September 2, 2010, in Australia and New Zealand. Stuart Beattie wrote and directed the movie. Caitlin Stasey played the main character, Ellie Linton.
The Story of Tomorrow, When the War Began
Ellie Linton and six of her friends decide to go camping. They spend a week in a wild, remote area called "Hell." This place is a large, hidden sinkhole covered in plants.
Strange Sightings in the Bush
While camping, the friends see many planes flying at night. The planes have no lights on. They talk about it the next morning. But they don't think much of it. They guess they are just military planes. They think the planes are returning from a practice flight.
Returning Home to an Empty Town
When the friends return to their hometown of Wirrawee, something is very wrong. All the people are gone. Their pets and farm animals are dead or dying. The friends worry about what has happened. They split into three groups to look around Wirrawee.
Discovering the Invasion
They soon find out that Wirrawee has been taken over. It is a beachhead for an invasion of Australia. An unknown army has invaded the country. The local people are being held captive by the invaders.
Ellie's group is spotted by the enemy soldiers. The soldiers chase them. To escape, they use a ride-on lawnmower fuel tank. They turn it into an improvised explosive. This helps them get away.
Rescue Missions and New Friends
Later, Ellie's group meets up with Homer and Fi. But Robyn and Lee are missing. Homer and Ellie go to find them. They meet Robyn, who tells them Lee has been shot in the leg. Lee is hiding in the main street of Wirrawee, where the enemy is strongest.
Ellie and Homer talk with the others. Ellie decides they must try to rescue Lee. They use a front-end loader to move and protect him. After a long chase, they save Lee. Several soldiers are killed during the rescue. They bring Lee safely back to Hell. On the way, they find Chris Lang hiding in his house. His parents were away on a business trip.
Life in Hell and Fighting Back
While hiding in Hell, some of the friends start romantic relationships. Ellie and Lee become a couple. Homer falls in love with Fi. Kevin and Corrie were already dating before the invasion.
The teenagers decide to search nearby farmhouses. They look for food and other supplies. Then they return to Hell. They set up a base camp there. The group eventually decides to fight back. They start a guerrilla war against the invaders. This means they use surprise attacks and small battles.
The Bridge Plan
Homer comes up with a plan to destroy the main bridge in Wirrawee. The invaders are using this bridge to bring supplies to their troops. Everyone agrees to the plan. Ellie, Fi, Lee, and Homer steal a petrol tanker. They plan to use it to blow up the bridge.
The plan almost goes wrong when Ellie and Fi are talking. But they quickly get back on track. They get the tanker to the bridge. Homer and Lee create a distraction using cattle. As the group at the bridge joins the others, they find Corrie has been shot.
After the Attack
The raid is a success, and the bridge collapses. But Corrie needs medical help. Kevin decides he will surrender to the invaders. He hopes they will give Corrie medical attention. Kevin and Corrie leave together. The others look to the future, wondering what will happen next.
Book to Screen: Adaptations
The book Tomorrow, When the War Began has been made into a film and a TV series.
The Film Adaptation
In June 2009, it was announced that a feature film would be made. Stuart Beattie wrote and directed it. The movie was released on September 2, 2010. Some people liked the movie, but others did not. It did not become very popular outside of Australia.
The TV Series Adaptation
A television series based on the Tomorrow books was also made. The series has six episodes. It was shown on ABC3 in Australia. Filming took place from September to November 2015. The first episode aired on April 23, 2016. The first season of the TV show mostly followed the events of the first book.
See also
In Spanish: Tomorrow, When the War Began para niños
