Captain - Hardcover

Angus, Sam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250061377 ISBN 13: 9781250061379

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 2016

Synopsis

It's 1915 and British troops are about to sail to Gallipoli. Billy is the youngest soldier in his platoon and is teased for not being old enough to drink or shave. The truth is, at fifteen he's not old enough to be a soldier, either, and he's terrified of the war he's about to fight.

Then he meets Captain, a refugee boy, and his donkey, Hey-ho. Together they teach Billy what it means to be brave, loyal, and fearless, and above all what it means to be a friend.

Sam Angus pulls at heartstrings in this stirring wartime friendship story.

About this title

About the Author

Sam Angus grew up in Spain. She studied literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, and taught A-level English before becoming a ski-wear designer. She lives between London and Exmoor with an improvident quantity of children, horses, and dogs. Soldier Dog is her first novel.

Reviews

Gr 6–9—Billy Bayliss should not be in Egypt in 1915, preparing to leave for Gallipoli. At 15, he lied his way into the British Army—he is scared, self-conscious, and alone. Captain, the 14-year-old son of a corporal, also should not be there, attached to the Provision Corps with his faithful donkey, Hey Ho. Because of their young age, the two form a tight friendship as they survive campaign after campaign in World War I. On the front lines, Billy sees the unimaginable horrors; Captain and Hey Ho sympathize, having seen their share of atrocities as survivors of an unnamed tragedy. Even as Billy grows familiar with war and distances himself from Captain, the boy and his donkey do not waver in their devotion. The physical demands of fighting in the parched Middle East take their toll on Billy's mind, and he makes a terrible mistake, sending him into a grief- and guilt-stricken tailspin. At the close of the war, Billy is alive but with a broken heart and fractured mind. Miraculously (and slightly unbelievably), the source of his grief and guilt resolves itself and Billy begins to heal. The tight, powerful writing is reminiscent of Michael Morpurgo's war novels—gritty but not gory. The story is Billy's, but Captain and Hey Ho are not just secondary characters; their unswerving loyalty is a driving factor behind Billy's thoughts, actions, and emotions. The donkey is representative of the thousands of unsung donkeys, mules, horses, and camels used during World War I. VERDICT Though not for sensitive readers, this is an important look at war and true friendship that should have a place in most collections.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

Edition details

• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1250061377
• ISBN 13: 9781250061379
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240