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LIFEBOAT 5

Name: LIFEBOAT 5
Author: Susan Hood
ISBN: 9781665943246

by Susan Hood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2024

A hopeful story about devastating events written in clear, accessible verse.

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Nazi bombs are falling on London.

Trapped in the shelter, 15-year-old Bess feels under attack from bombers on the outside and bullies on the inside. She convinces her parents to apply for a program that will evacuate children to Canada, and she and little brother Louis are accepted. They set off on the SS City of Benares accompanied by a convoy of armed ships. Their escorts and the crew are kind, but the life jackets and lifeboat drills are reminders that danger is always lurking. Bess befriends fellow passenger Beth, and when a German torpedo strikes and the ship sinks, they help one another to safety but feel overwhelmed by stormy weather, loss, and despair. Is there any hope of finding Louis? Bess narrates her tale in free verse that uses short, staccato lines to describe the unfolding events in sharp detail. Hood intersperses verses narrated by the sea, and others that follow Louis’ experiences. Bess’ stream-of-consciousness style expresses all her doubts, fears, and hopes, bringing readers along on her torturous adventure. The girls are ultimately rescued by the HMS Hurricane and find Louis, but only a few of the other children survive. This verse novel is inspired by unforgettable real events that will leave a lasting impression on readers.

A hopeful story about devastating events written in clear, accessible verse. (author’s note, Lifeboat 5 facts, poetry notes, sources, appendix, photographs) (Verse historical fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024

ISBN: 9781665943246

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
HARBORING HOPE
by Susan Hood

- BOOK REVIEW
BROTHERS IN ARMS
by Susan Hood ; illustrated by Jamie Green

- BOOK REVIEW
ALIAS ANNA
by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson

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THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING

by Shelley Pearsall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2015

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.

Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)