Whistling in the Dark

Legendary author Shirley Hughes draws on her young teenage memories for a compelling novel of friendship and mysteries set in Liverpool during the Blitz.

Liverpool, 1940: Thirteen-year-old Joan's home is under constant threat from the Nazis' terrifying nightly air raids. Everyone is on edge, faced with strict food rationing, curfews, and blackouts. It's not an easy time to be a teenager. Joan's one solace is going to the movies with her best friend, the unflappable Doreen, but when the bombings intensify, even that becomes too dangerous. There's also the matter of a strange man who Joan sees lurking near their home. Who is he, and why does he think Joan can help him? Even more unsettling, as the Blitz worsens, Joan and her friends make a discovery down by the old mill that will tear the whole community apart. In the hardship of war, everything seems to be rationed -- except true friendship.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 11/14/2017
ISBN: 9780763690724
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.30w x 0.90d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2017
Publishers Weekly 09/25/2017
School Library Journal 11/01/2017
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2017
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2018 pg. 108 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 191931 / Whistling in the Dark
Reading Level: 5.9 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 6