The Coastwatcher

By Elise Weston
Period: World War II, America
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Hugh is at his South Carolina beach house during the summer of 1943 avoiding the polio epidemic in the cities while World War II is raging overseas. He spends hours every day "coastwatching"--keeping an eye out for German submarines called U-Boats which have been bombing American supply ships in the Atlantic Ocean. A couple of times Hugh thinks he sees a periscope and some flashing lights at night, but his parents just think he has an overactive imagination. And there is no way he is going to share this information with his older sister Sally and cousin Tom--they already make fun of him. But then Hugh starts to come across more clues and he begins to wonder if someone might be hiding in the old abandoned Spook House up the beach. Hugh finally tells Tom and Sally about his suspicions and then things begin to zip fast-forward towards a very dangerous conclusion. This is a quick moving and thrilling story about fighting the war at home. This is a great story for any kid who likes adventure and has dreamed of catching the bad guys!