Ghost of Heroes Past
Ghost of Heroes Past
by Charles Reid
$10.95
- Autumn 2010
- ISBN 978-1-55380-102-3
- ebook ISBN 978-1-55380-115-3
- 5-1/4″ x 7-5/8″ Trade Paperback, 170 pages
- Young Adult Novel
- Out of print
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Anders is something of a misfit, with no friends and a poor school record, but all this begins to change when he is awakened one night to find a soldier-ghost in his bedroom. Johnny is taken back in time to meet a series of unusual heroes in Canada’s war history. These include Joan Bamford Fletcher, who commandeered Japanese soldiers to take hundreds of wounded civilians to safety through the jungles of Indonesia, and the much-decorated Raymond Collishaw, through whom Johnny learns that Canada played a role in the Russian Revolution.
Not wanting to appear ignorant of his country’s history in front of a soldier — even if he is a ghost — Johnny starts some research of his own. While doing so he becomes friends with an intriguing new girl at school who has her own reasons to be interested in Canada’s war history. The pair become increasingly closer as together they set about uncovering why it is that Johnny has been chosen to be a witness to Canadians at war.
Click here to read an excerpt from Ghosts of Heroes Past.
Reviews:
“This is a book of adventures and heroes. The adventures include dogfights over First World War trenches, spies in the Chinese jungle and torpedoed ships in the north Atlantic. Every one of the heroes is Canadian and Charles Reid is to be commended for bringing them to our attention so entertainingly.”
—John Wilson“In the pages of Ghost of Heroes Past, readers will find a history lesson that they won’t soon forget. Recommended.”
—CM Magazine“When you follow Johnny on his nightly visits through war torn countries, Ghost of Heroes Past is excellent. Reid brilliantly explains the stories of several Canadians and their involvement in wars past. The reader feels connected to the soldiers and understands the gritty situations of war in a new way.”
—Resource Links“Reid does a beautiful job telling his stories in gripping fashion. I was riveted. His presentation of the wars is balanced — he makes a stab at explaining why the Japanese did some of the horrible things they did, instead of just dismissing them as bad, and he never glorifies or sugar-coats the realities of war.”
—Charlotte’s Library“By the conclusion of the story we see how Johnny’s time-travel adventures have impacted and changed his perceptions of the meaning of Remembrance Day and that the ‘old stuff that happened long ago’ really does have significance for all generations. Easy read…. recommended for boys!”
— Recently Read
