Under a Fire-Red Sky

Four English teens struggle to navigate the beginning of WWII in this moving accounting by McCaughrean (Where the World Ends). As war looms, children are evacuated from London homes and sent to the countryside for their safety. Just as her train is scheduled to leave Greenwich, however, teenage Gemmy disembarks, prompting three other teens in her railcar—Olive, Lawrence, and Franklin—to follow suit. Each one has their own reasons for remaining in London. Though resolute Gemmy is eager to escape her physically abusive father, she fears being under the guardianship of a stranger with a similar temperament; Olive worries about leaving behind her fireman father; posh Lawrence wants to return to the airplane he’s building in his garage; and brave Franklin yearns to do something for his community. Upon finding an abandoned van for shelter, Gemmy resolves to make a living on the streets alongside Franklin, while Lawrence and Olive head home to continue their own responsibilities. But as the Blitz begins, the four friends must rely on one another to survive. Assured prose details harrowing yet exciting adventure, while thoroughly researched worldbuilding and thoughtful characterizations round out this engaging, teen-centered look at an important slice of British history. Ages 12–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Nov.)