Flight of the Tiger Moth by Mary Woodbury

This is a likable story. I know that's not the highest praise, but it is true that I didn’t find it riveting. However, while it’s not likely to attract reluctant readers, I found it a worthwhile story.

Like all good historical fiction, it taught me interesting details from its setting which were painlessly assimilated through storytelling.

The Who, Where, and What: Jack is a young teen who lives in Canada at the advent of World War II. His small town hosts a new air force training base where Jack has landed a part-time job. He gets a chance to practice flying a couple of times when his sister’s fiancée and one of the trainees take him up.

Jack’s life over the course of the summer is the focus of the story. Lots of little conflicts combine to make up the rhythm of his summer. He finds a dog whose mother has been shot in the head. His mother won’t let him keep the puppy, but he keeps close to it by having the pilots take care of it. One of these pilots dies in a crash which happened frequently at the time. His sister’s fiancé goes missing in action and his sister is injured after her work as a battlefield nurse.

In the meantime, Jack has his first real crush, lands a plane in an emergency, deals with an over-protective mom, and finally gets his dog (but not the girl).

My favorite detail amongst all this is the development of the Tiger Moth airplane. Jack wants to design a better, safer plane rather than become a pilot.

Safe and solid storytelling.

SAFETY RATING: 3 Flags