Alive and kicking

While I have not read any of the other books in this series, it appears that Alive and Kicking picks up where Dead in the Water (book 2) ends. Theo’s older brother Hank was declared MIA when the ship he was one, the Yorktown, sank at Midway. Alive & Kicking begins with Theo on his way home for compassionate leave. Theo is convinced that Hank is still alive, even though his family thinks him dead. Theo returns to his base in Oklahoma when his unit is sent to a RAF base in England. Theo flies a B-24 Liberator, and begins keeping a journal to his brother Hank with the hope that Hank is doing the same thing. Theo never loses hope in his brother’s survival, and the book ends on June 6, 1944, with a journal entry to Hank.

Theo McCallum show more sees a lot of action in this third installment of the series, and Chris Lynch did a great job of bringing the history to life. His descriptions of the equipment and battles remain true to history and greatly add to the story. The only real grievance I have is the author’s choice of voice. Theo’s inner monologue gets to be repetitive and annoying after a while. I would recommend this series to teens who are interested in historical fiction.

Grade Range: 7-9
Genre: Historical
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Recommended show less