Halahmy World War Two pet story to Alma

Independent publisher Alma Books has signed a middle-grade story about what happened to all the pets in World War Two by Miriam Halahmy.

The Emergency Zoo is set in 1939 when the British government is preparing to evacuate London’s children to the countryside. When 12-year-old Tilly find out that their pet animals will be taken away from them and put down, they decide to create an “emergency zoo” in the woods.

Alma acquired the world rights from Anne Clarke of the Anne Clarke literary agency and will publish in May (p/b, £6.99).

Halahmy is the author of several YA novels, including Hidden, which was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.