Across a War-Tossed Sea

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By L.M. Elliott

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$6.99

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$8.99 CAD

It’s 1943, and World War II is raging. To escape the terror of the Blitz, ten-year-old Wesley and fourteen-year-old Charles were evacuated from England to America. After a few near misses with German U-boats and a treacherous ocean crossing, the brothers arrived in Virginia. The culture shock is intense as the London boys adjust to rural farm life and have to learn new sports, customs, and spellings, plus contend with racial segregation and bullying. As time goes by, the brothers begin to adapt to their new reality and blaze their own trails, writing letters home, making new friends, and pitching in to the American war effort. But just when Wes and Charles think they are safe from the terror of the battles raging thousands of miles across the sea, they encounter the very brand of soldiers they were trying to escape: Nazis, from a POW camp right around the corner and U-boats torpedoing American ships off the nearby Atlantic coastline. Suddenly, Charles, Wesley, and their new Virginian family must face the dangers of a foreign war coming too close to home. Award-winning author L. M. Elliott brings a rarely told story of World War II on U.S. soil to light in this gripping and meticulously-researched novel, a companion to the beloved Under a War-Torn Sky.

  • PRAISE FOR UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY, UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY

    Awards for Under A War-Torn Sky:
    Notable Book in Social Studies for Young People (NCSS/CBC), 2002
    Jefferson Cup Honor Book, 2002
    Winner, Borders' Original Voices Award for Young Adult Literature, 2001
    Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002, Bank Street College of Education, CBC
    Maryland Black-eyed Susan Award, finalist, 2004-5
    Iowa Teen Award, finalist, 2003-4
    Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice, finalist, 2002-3
    South Carolina Jr. Book Award, finalist, 2003-4
    Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002, CBC
    .
  • PRAISE FOR UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY

    A powerful debut novel of adventure and salvation. Readers, young and old, will be moved by this fine book.
    Children's Literature
  • PRAISE FOR UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY

    An emotional, action-packed gem! ...Elliott paints a picture of war that we don't often see, one that is away from the battles, showing life and death in a war-ravaged land. She illustrates through her well-planned story lines how one can prevail through the most adverse of conditions, bringing up many ethical and moral questions. ...An engrossing thrill-ride.
    KLIATT
  • PRAISE FOR UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY

    Elliott's fluid style is woven together with vivid historical details from WWII, appropriate for adolescents who seek suspense-filled adventures. Inspired by true stories of WWII, Elliott captures the courage, self-sacrifice, and bravery of the French Resistance forces. Fans of history, culture, language, or just good storytelling will definitely want to read this.
    BookPage
  • PRAISE FOR UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY

    Henry Forester, a young B-24 flier, is a complex mix of insecurities, unresolved feelings about his punitive father, and heroic aspiration. On his fifteenth mission, he is shot down, having no idea where he has landed. His journey back through Nazi occupied Europe and his involvement with the French Resistance are depicted with chilling realism. Small details (bike wheels in France were made of wood because the Germans had confiscated all the rubber) add both credibility and appeal to this gripping adventure. ...It's packed with action, intrigue, and suspense, but this novel celebrates acts of kindness and heroism without glorifying war.
    Booklist

On Sale
Apr 8, 2014
Page Count
256 pages
ISBN-13
9781423193944

L.M. Elliott

About the Author

L. M. Elliott was an award-winning magazine journalist in Washington, DC, before becoming a New York Times bestselling author of historical and biographical young adult novels. Her works include Under a War-Torn Sky, Suspect Red, Hamilton and Peggy!, Walls, and Bea and the New Deal Horse, have won the Scott O’Dell, the VLA Cardinal Cup, and the Grateful American Book Prize for historical fiction, and been named NCSS/CBC Notables, Bank Street College of Ed. Bests, and Kirkus Bests. Visit her online at lmelliott.com.

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