A launch title in the new ‘ I Am Canada’ series
Alistair “Allie” Morrison lets his friend Mackie talk him into enlisting in the Canadian army in 1940, even though he’s only 18. After months of endless training, his buddies in the Royal Regiment of Canada are all eager to see some action. But Alistair has some doubts about their first mission ––a raid on the German-held port of Dieppe.
After they arrive off Blue Beach before dawn on August 19, 1942, they disembark from their landing craft onto a killing ground. The men of the Royal Regiment would have the highest casualty rate of any on that terrible day. Almost a thousand Canadians soon lie dead on the Dieppe beaches and nearly two thousand more are forced to go into captivity. At POW camp deep within Germany, the soldiers struggle to maintain their courage. Despite having their hands shackled, some of them are determined to outwit their captors and escape – no matter what the cost.
“…makes history come alive through an expert mix of fact and fiction.”–– Quill & Quire, starred review.
“its lively writing style will maintain reader interest throughout.” ––CM Magazine, 3 1/2 stars out of 4
“…the chief characters are eminently likeable and quietly heroic, and their tales utterly engrossing.–Globe & Mail
*Nominee for the Hackmatack and Rocky Mountain Book Awards 2012 and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award, 2011.
•CCBC ‘Our Choice’ Selection for 2011.
Reading Level: 9-12 year olds
Format: 4 3/8” x 6 ½”; 232 pages
Published: Sept. 2010 by Scholastic Canada
Retail Price: $14.99 hardcover