Across the Cold Ground

A moving short story from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by a great Irish talent in children’s fiction today

When his brother goes missing in action, Charley knows he has a duty to enlist for the army himself. Soon dispatched to the Somme, he and his comrades are far from home and living in fear of a faceless enemy. Cold and wet, letters from their loved ones in Ireland and well-meaning banter with each other are the only things that keep the soldiers going. But just at the moment the troops are given the command to go ‘over the top’ and cross no-man’s-land to face the enemy, Charley realises the precious letter from home that he’s been saving to read could have been about his brother and that maybe he should have read it after all. Terrified, Charley knows that whatever decision he makes at that moment could change his life for ever…

A moving and affecting tale, brought to life by evocative illustrations.

Look out for the other eleven stories – also available as e-shorts!

About the author

Oisín McGann has written and illustrated books for all ages, including the Mad Grandad series and the Forbidden Files. He is a winner of the Bisto/CBI Book of the Year Merit Award and has been shortlisted for a number of others, including the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize in the UK, le Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire in France and Locus Magazine’s Best First Novel Award in the US. Oisín lives in the Irish countryside, where he won’t be found shouting into his computer.