Wish Me Luck

Reviewer: Middleschool student Jamie lives in Liverpool during World War 2. During the first year of the war there were no air-raids or nothing, so kids and adults started ignoring the war, until one night when the war struck to close to home. Jamie's parents decided to send him to Canada on a boat along with the new kid, Beeker. On the boat a Navy escort for protection followed them from the U-boats. When the Navy Escort left, Jamie and Bleeker knew they were in danger. That night the boat was bombed, and Jamie and Bleeker were in for the most horrible night of their lives. Exciting and suspenseful. James Heneghan's creative writing makes you feel like your there. I recommend this book to eight graders and up because it's a little hard to understand sometimes and has bad language.

Reviewer: Middleschool studentWish Me Luck by James Heneghan. Jamie lives in Liverpool during World War 2. During the first year of the war there were no air-raids or nothing, so kids and adults started ignoring the war, until one night when the war struck to close to home. Jamie?s parents decided to send him to Canada on a boat along with the new kid, Beeker. On the boat a Navy escort for protection followed them from the U-boats. When the Navy Escort left, Jamie and Bleeker knew they were in danger. That night the boat was bombed, and Jamie and Bleeker were in for the most horrible night of their lives. Exciting and suspenseful. James Heneghan?s creative writing makes you feel like your there. I recommend this book to eight graders and up because it?s a little hard to understand sometimes and has bad language.

This is one of my favorite novels to date. The story is that a 12 year old boy is deppressed that he has to leave his parents and England behind, he makes friends and has to endure the teasing of a bully who is in the same cabin as him. However they do not know that the ship they are on will be sunk by a U-boat and that of the 100 kids abord only 14 will survive. Will they be among them? This is a gripping novel with a facinating look at life on a ship and at home from a kids point of view. This book has everything, suspense,horror,religion,and even some romance. The chapter on the sinking is very gripping and exciting. The only complaint I had was that there was not more coverage of the hospital ship and there were a few inapropriate scenes for anyone under 12. Otherwise its excelent.The Good: Gripping story, excititing sinking sequences, good look at life during WWIIThe bad: little coverage of the hospital shipAnd the ugly: some inapropriate moments involving naughty bits.

This book was a real eye opener as to what the second world war actually was like. The book is slow at times but when it gets exciting it really gets exciting. My suggestion would be not to stop reading when it gets slow because it will pick up the pace very soon. Overal I would say that this is a very worthwhile book if your interested in World War II.

My twelve-year-old sixth grade boy and I just finished this wonderful novel. I am a children's librarian, but my son is a picky reader. Our favorite book to date is The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, which won a Newbery Medal. Wish Me Luck has many of the same elements that make Charlotte Doyle so terrific: thoughtful, original characters, adventure and excitement. Kids who enjoyed the movie Titanic and like to read will enjoy this book. It has bombings, fires, lurking submarines and finally, a shipwreck. Any book that will induce your child to hide under the covers witha flashlight and read a chaper ahead, I consider a winner.