If you loved
The Machine Gunners
Robert Westall · Book · 2012
What hooked you in The Machine Gunners was the thrill of ordinary children navigating high-stakes situations using their own ingenuity.
Films on the same thread
Treasure Planet
Ron Clements · Film · 2002
Just as Chas McGill finds power in his war souvenirs, Jim Hawkins discovers that taking charge of a perilous journey transforms a cabin boy into a capable hero.
The Goonies
Richard Donner · Film · 1985
Much like the group in The Machine Gunners, these friends find themselves caught in a dangerous adult conflict while pursuing a prize that feels larger than life.
Castle in the Sky
Hayao Miyazaki · Film · 1986
The Machine Gunners captures the intensity of childhood amidst total war, a feeling mirrored here as young protagonists confront global powers while seeking a legendary, hidden prize.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Peter Farrelly · Film · 2022
While The Machine Gunners explores the morality of war through a child's eyes, this film follows a character whose naive attempts to engage with conflict shift his perspective.
Series on the same thread
Outer Banks
Josh Pate · Series · 2020
The tight-knit loyalty found in The Machine Gunners is echoed here as a group of teens stumbles upon secrets that pull them into an unforgettable, illicit adventure.
Craig of the Creek
Matt Burnett · Series · 2018
The Machine Gunners celebrates the secret lives of children, and this series captures that same spirit by showing how kids turn their own territory into a complex world.
MacGyver
Lee David Zlotoff · Series · 1985
If you admired the resourcefulness of the children in The Machine Gunners, you will appreciate how this hero improvises his way through danger using only common objects.
IT: Welcome to Derry
Andy Muschietti · Series · 2025
Like the young protagonists in The Machine Gunners, this group of friends must navigate a landscape of hidden dangers and adult secrets that threaten their childhood innocence.
Podcasts on the same thread
Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard
Podcast Heat · Podcast · 2026
If The Machine Gunners hit, Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard shares the thread.
Business Wars
Audible · Podcast · 2026
If The Machine Gunners hit, Business Wars shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Machine Gunners a prize-winning book?
Yes, The Machine Gunners is a highly acclaimed novel that earned the Carnegie Medal. It is recognized as a classic work of literature that explores the adventures of Chas McGill and his friends as they collect war souvenirs in Garmouth.
What is the main plot of The Machine Gunners?
In The Machine Gunners, a boy named Chas McGill seeks to improve his collection of war souvenirs. His search leads him to a crashed German bomber, where he discovers a functional machine gun that transforms his ordinary games into a perilous situation.
When was The Machine Gunners published?
The specific edition of The Machine Gunners referenced here was published in 2012. This release marks 50 years of the story, which follows the experiences of Chas McGill and his friends as they encounter the wreckage of a downed aircraft during wartime.
What does Chas McGill find in The Machine Gunners?
While searching for war souvenirs in Garmouth, Chas McGill discovers the wreckage of a downed German bomber in The Machine Gunners. He identifies a working machine gun amidst the debris, which becomes the centerpiece of his collection and the catalyst for the story.