Courageous

by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Overview

A kid's-eye view of the heroic events at Dunkirk!

Aiden is the son of a fisherman on the south coast of England, and he's feared the ocean since his oldest brother's ship was sunk by a German U-boat.

But that doesn't matter when he and his best friend Sally hear chatter on their radio. Allied troops, including Aiden's surviving brother, are trapped in France, surrounded by German forces. The British military have come up with a daring plan to save as many troops as possible, bringing them across the Channel to safety -- but they'll need every boat they can get their hands on.

Aiden's parents forbid him from going, but he and Sally know they can help, and set off to join Operation Dynamo on their own. It's a harrowing journey, and the pair are in grave danger as they help ferry troops from Dunkirk, searching for Aiden's brother all the while. It will take an entire village for them to realize that as long as people are willing to help those who need it, there's hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338226942
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/27/2018
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Yona Zeldis McDonough is the award-winning author of 27 books for children and seven novels for adults. Her essays, articles, and short fiction have appeared in numerous national and literary publications. She is also the fiction editor of Lilith magazine. McDonough lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Bicycle Spy:"A fine story of war, friendship, and taking a stand against injustice." — Kirkus Reviews"History seamlessly meets fiction as readers learn about a snippet of life in World War II Europe . . . Students will become engrossed in Marcel's exploits." — School Library Journal"Clearly written, suspenseful, and accessible to a younger audience . . . An engaging story." — Booklist

From the Publisher

2018-07-24

Twelve-year-olds Aidan and Sally sail a tiny fishing boat across the English Channel and risk their lives rescuing trapped Allied soldiers from Dunkirk.

Aidan's parents initially refuse to join the mission, claiming one son was enough to sacrifice to the war, but Aidan is determined. He and his friend Sally commandeer his parents' boat and set sail across the English Channel, hoping to rescue his brother, George, and the other trapped soldiers from the advancing Axis troops. A missile breaches the hull, but spare lifejackets stuffed into the hole keep them afloat. Insufficient fuel, enemy planes, and the smoke-filled air further threaten their journey, but Aidan and Sally finally make the shore. They manage to ferry dozens of soldiers to waiting rescue ships, but George is nowhere to be found. Scenes alternate between the drama on the water and the desperate conditions on land. While the gore is kept to a minimum, death, injury, and peril are constant; despite this, however, the story lags. A glossary, a timeline of the rescue, and a brief overview of the war are included to give context. Aidan and Sally are brave, and the soldiers are honorable, making for a sympathetic cast—no characters of color are among it though, despite the presence of Indian troops at Dunkirk, making it an all-white one.

A mostly historically accurate, though not terribly engaging retelling of Operation Dynamo. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews