Shoes for Anthony

October 15, 2016
World War II comes too close to home for a boy growing up in a Welsh coal-mining village.Eleven-year-old Anthony Jones, youngest son of a family of miners, spends his hardscrabble but exuberant days playing games with his gang of friends in a den they've crafted on local mountain Pen Pych, fending off the school bully, and listening to dramas on a secondhand radio. The possibility of a scholarship that would send Anthony to a grammar school (and thus keep him out of the mines) and rumors of the arrival of American forces threaten this routine. Then a German plane crashes into Pen Pych, and, the next day, the boys find in their den a wounded Polish prisoner of war, Piotr Skarbowitz, who parachuted from the plane before it crashed. Piotr is taken in by the Jones family and develops a special relationship with both Anthony and Anthony's sister, Bethan, who works at the RAF field in nearby St. Athan, but he's virtually adopted by the entire village: the schoolteacher wants him to speak to her class, the baker provides free treats. When the American troops finally arrive, "It's like the world has come to pay us a visit." Author Kennedy (The Killing Handbook, 2012) ably handles a large cast of villagers and the point of view of a young boy without falling into sentimentality. The novel is at its best when it brings to vivid life the speech and routines of these hardworking people, their tragedies, stoicism, and modest romances, a way of life threatened by outsiders. A dance held at the GI base brings this tension to a head when the local girls refuse to dance with their neighbors, wanting to "save themselves so they could be asked by an American." A plot twist involving Piotr provides a burst of drama and action but feels slightly out of place in this gentle world. A vividly evoked, keenly detailed coming-of-age story.

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October 1, 2017

Eleven-year-old Anthony, better known as Ant, is living in South Wales, far removed from the front lines of World War II. Money is scarce in this coal-mining town, and the boy's only shoes are a pair of oversize Wellingtons. As the villagers eagerly await the rumored arrival of U.S. troops, a plane carrying German soldiers crashes into the side of the mountain upon which the town sits. Ant and his friends discover that an escaped Polish prisoner of war has survived the accident, and they bring him back to Ant's home. The book reads like a film script, with action and dramatic plot twists-appropriate, considering Kennedy's acting background. The writing is simple, and the sprinkling of Welsh words throughout give it a realistic feel. The author balances humor and intrigue in this perceptive tale of a boy's maturation. While the novel is marketed for adults, even young teens will appreciate it. VERDICT Though titles on World War II are plentiful, this is a solid choice for those seeking to add to their historical fiction shelves.-Krystina Kelley, Belle Valley School, Belleville, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
In the small Welsh village of Treherbert, WWII is experienced primarily through deprivation: rationing, poverty, sacrifice. Anthony's father and brothers support the war effort through digging coal, while Anthony spends his days in boyish high jinks with his friends. When American troops mass nearby and a German plane crashes close to the village, Anthony learns firsthand how dangerous war can be. This first-person WWII family drama is told from Anthony's perspective, and he is often extremely precocious for a 10-year-old. The surprise plot twist will not be so to most readers, and the regional dialogue is not entirely successful. However, Kennedy shines when focusing on the small moments of boys' play and everyday life. The setting, from the pervasive coal dust to the tatty housecoats of the Treherbert women, is adeptly crafted, doubtless because Kennedy's father grew up in Treherbert; the novel is based, in part, on him. Most affecting is the contrast this cheerfully endured (especially by children) but impoverished environment provides with the modern abundance many of us take for granted.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)