ON ROUGH SEAS

Hitler has already invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland, and France and England may be next. England braces for war, with barbed wire now fringing the sandy coasts and rationing, curfews and evacuation at the top of everyone’s mind. When soldiers begin gathering at his father’s inn in Dover, 14-year-old Alec Curtis is fascinated by their secrecy and by the “feel of war.” After the death of his cousin Georgie, a tragedy Alec feels responsible for, Alec wants to prove himself in the war effort “to make it right for Georgie,” and he gets his chance in the dramatic rescue at Dunkirk. Hull’s debut novel effectively conveys the increasing tension as war becomes imminent. Believable characters, a tight plot and a wealth of historical detail neatly woven into the text make this a must for the many young readers interested in World War II. (Fiction. 10+)