The Wreck of the Argyll - Softcover

Fulton, John K

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1911279297 ISBN 13: 9781911279297

Publisher: Pokey Hat, 2018

Synopsis

*Winner of the Great War Dundee Children’s Book Prize* When your teacher’s a spy, who can you trust? Dundee, 1915. When twelve-year-old Nancy suspects one of her teachers is a German spy, she ropes in the reluctant Jamie Balfour to help her uncover the scheme. Midshipman Harry Melville is aboard HMS Argyll in the stormy North Sea, unaware of both hidden rocks and German plots that threaten the ship. Nancy and Jamie discover HMS Argyll is in deadly danger and they are drawn into a web of espionage, secrets, and betrayal, where no-one is as they seem and no-one can be trusted.

About this title

About the Author:

John K Fulton is the son of a lighthouse keeper, and grew up all around the coast of Scotland. These remote and lonely locations instilled in him a life-long love of books and the sea. He studied at the universities of St. Andrews and Dundee, and now lives in Leicester with his partner Sandra. While Leicester is about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, their home is stuffed with books, which is the next-best thing. His first book, the WWI spy thriller The Wreck of the Argyll, won the Great War Dundee Children’s Book Prize. His second book, The Beast on the Broch, goes back even further into Scottish history to the time of the Picts and the Vikings. You can contact John at www.johnkfulton.com, on Twitter @johnkfulton, or as johnkfulton on Instagram.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5-7-Set in 1915 Scotland during World War I, this novel centers on 12-year-old Nancy Caird, a fiercely patriotic Dundee girl without a way to contribute to the war effort. Her 14-year-old sister Nelly has left school to work in a jute factory making ropes for army tents, her mom is a cleaner at the Royal Infirmary, and her dad spends his nights baking and days teaching military cooks. Her family rarely notices that Nancy exists. She soon discovers that one of her teachers, Mr. Simpson, makes a regular nightly trek to an abandoned building, and she's convinced he's a German spy. She's soon joined by Jamie "Howff" Balfour. The only adult who seems to believe the kids is Nancy's uncle Stuart. Alternating with Nancy's story are chapters that feature midshipman Harry Melville of the HMS Argyll, a warship that was part of Great Britain's defense against the Imperial German Navy. It's Harry's first assignment out of Dartmouth, the Naval College. The ship is supposed to go up the east coast but the North Sea is so full of Germans, they are forced to journey through the west coast of Scotland, which is described as a jagged mess. Harry is excited yet nervous about using his "book learning." The fates of Harry and Nancy are ominously tied through a secret German plot. Suspense slowly builds as Nancy pursues her theory, and the pacing reaches a fever pitch as her suspicions become confirmed. This is an appealing read for perusers of historical fiction, especially fans of the "I Survived" titles by Lauren Tarshis. Readers will relate to Jamie's impulsiveness, his earnest desire to set things right, and the pleasure he takes in his friendship with Nancy. Nancy's guilt in making Jamie feel bad for his father's abandonment and mother's drug problem will also ring true. VERDICT A satisfying World War I mystery with age-appropriate themes that will resonate with young readers.-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NCα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pokey Hat
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1911279297
• ISBN 13: 9781911279297
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176