Rip to the Rescue

May 15, 2020
Grades 4-7 It's WWII and Germany is obliterating London with bombing blitzes. Communication lines around the city are disabled, so lads (some too young for actual duty) shuttle messages on bike between the wardens. This is the situation that greets 13-year-old Jack upon his return from the countryside. When air raid sirens blare, Jack leaves his house under pretense of getting his grandfather into a shelter. At Granddad's, however, he grabs his uniform and transforms himself into a messenger. On one such night, Jack finds a starving, injured dog and makes a quick choice to rescue it. Turns out, with his knack for sniffing out injured people, Rip (so named because of his torn ear) becomes the hero of the book. Jack and a ragtag group of teens are strong supporting characters who put their lives on the line to rescue others and pass along valuable messages. Amid the dark, danger, falling bombs, and debris, Halahmy's characters (human and animal) display courage and true acts of friendship. She bases this historical novel on actual events from WWII.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 15, 2020
In WWII London, 13-year-old Jack serves as a bike messenger; when he finds a dog who can sniff out survivors under the rubble, the two become an unlikely rescue team. Tall Jack lies about his age (messengers must be 17) in order to transport urgent messages during the nightly bombings, hiding this duty from his authoritarian father, who is dealing with PTSD from WWI, by pretending to check on his grandfather every evening. Halahmy (The Emergency Zoo) effectively creates a high-stakes wartime atmosphere, tackling complicated historical issues when Jack befriends a Jewish girl, Paula, who furtively hides supplies to save her family in case the Germans invade. Jack’s transformation—from a boy who was bullied in school for his one deaf ear to a brave one with a ragtag and loyal group of friends—stands out, as does his relationship with the dog, who also hears in only one ear. Based on the adventures of an actual canine, this British import is a taut and affecting historical novel of friendship and courage. Ages 8–12. Agent: Anne Clark, Anne Clark Literary.