Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for B for Buster by Iain Lawrence - Available

B for Buster

by Iain Lawrence
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Read a sample Read a sample
1 of 1 copy available

Nicknamed after his hometown of Kakabeka, Canada, Kak dreams of flying with the Allied bombers in World War II. So at 16, underage and desperate to escape his abusive parents, he enlists in the Canadian Air Force. Soon he is trained as a wireless operator and sent to a squadron in England, where he's unabashedly gung ho about flying his first op. He thinks the night ops over Germany will be like the heroic missions of his favorite comic-book heroes. Good will vanquish evil. But his first time out, in a plane called B for Buster, reveals the ops for what they really are--a harrowing ordeal.

The bombing raids bring searchlights . . . artillery from below . . . and night fighters above hunting to take the bombers down. One hit, Kak knows, and B for Buster, along with him and his six crewmates, could be destroyed.

Kak is terrified.

He can't confide his feelings to his crew, since he's already worried that they'll find out his age. Besides, none of them seem afraid. Only in Bert, the slovenly caretaker of the homing pigeons that go on every op, does Kak find an unlikely friend. Bert seems to understand what the other men don't talk about--the shame, the sense of duty, and the paralyzing fear. As Kak seeks out Bert's company, he somehow finds the strength to face his own uncertain future.

From the Hardcover edition.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    December 18, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780307433152

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780307433152
      • File size: 485 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 4.7
    • Lexile® Measure: 730
    • Interest Level: 9-12(UG)
    • Text Difficulty: 3

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      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.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 23, 2006
      This story, told through the eyes of a 16-year-old who lies about his age to enlist, presents "a gritty, unglorified picture of what it was like to be a fighter pilot during WWII," according to PW
      's starred review. Ages 12-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.7
  • Lexile® Measure:730
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

Loading