Books I've Read

A young boy lies about his age and enlists in the air force during World War II. Extremely great story, I learned a lot about the Halifax bomber, flight operations, and the pigeons used for emergency communication. I had to make a list of the seven crew members as I couldn't remember who was which. PET PEEVE: If you are going to include a glossary at the back of the book kindly mention it in the front of the book!!

A teen with albinism runs away and joins a small circus in post-war United States. The author cites Toby Tyler as an influence, in fact says he had to rewrite the story because there was too much Toby in it! The first hundred pages were not all that great, for me, but in the last hundred the story started pulling me in, and it was very moving.

During the first World War Johnny is sent to live with his aunt in Cliffe, a relatively safer place than London. He plays with the toy soldiers his father gave him. His father (a toymaker) carves new ones and sends them from the front. Johnny comes to think that he is controlling the war with his toy soldiers, and fears for his father's safety. A really good book!

John Spencer sails for the West Indies on the Dragon in this last of the series. Great little sea stories all!

Squid, with her daughter, returns to the island where she and her dead brother were raised.

John sails on his father's new ship, but encounters smugglers in the crew!

John is cast ashore when the sailing ship he and his father are on is lured to wreck by evildoers on the shore.