Wednesday, March 21, 2007

London Calling

LONDON CALLING: Edward Bloor: Alfred A. Knopf: 2006: Young Adult: 289 pages.

Edward Bloor's London Calling is a young adult time travel adventure that emphasizes, without being heavy-handed, how important it is for all of us to have a good knowledge of history, and to use our time wisely because according to Bloor the big question we will be asked come Judgment Day is "What did you do to help?" Martin Conway is a teenage boy who is bummed out by having to attend a snooty academy where he is treated like the hired help because his mother is the hired help, which is the only reason he is there. After an "incident" on campus where one of his friends is expelled, he retreats to his bedroom where he spends all his time sleeping, playing videos games, or text messaging his friends. When he meets a young man from World War II London by means of an old radio set bequeathed to him by his grandmother, he has to study hard to discover what he is supposed to do to help Jimmy. He also enters the frightening and fascinating world of London during the blitz. Rich reading on every level. A tad bit of swearing.

LW

No comments: