B for Buster

Starred review from July 5, 2004
After his trilogy of sea adventures (The Wreckers
; The Smugglers
; The Buccaneers
), Lawrence turns to the skies to bring readers a gritty, unglorified picture of what it was like to be a fighter pilot during WWII. As the war rages in Europe, "Kak," a 16-year-old nicknamed for his native Kakabeka, Canada, is so eager to join the Air Force that he lies about his age in order to enlist. His daydreams of becoming a war hero soon turn into hellish nightmares about death as he learns first-hand the risks involved with dropping bombs in enemy territory. With 5% of the men killed on every raid, Kak figures that his chance of surviving the required 30 "ops" are next to zero. The author balances action-packed scenes aboard Kak's plane, B for Buster
, with more introspective moments on land as the teen strives to come to terms with a terror he cannot shake. Kak feels calmest when he is with "Dirty Bert," a demoted pilot, whose job now is to take care of the carrier pigeons. Knowing the effects of fear, Bert acts as a father figure, offering Kak consolation, advice and a good luck charm, Percy his prized bird. Although a little slow going in the middle (as death-defying feats—dodging enemy searchlights and flak—become a matter of routine), the story, as meticulously researched as the author's previous novels, is powerful enough to make audience members re-evaluate their concepts of war and courage. Ages 12-up.