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2002
finalists.

2002 Hackmatack

Children's Choice Book Award/Prix littéraire - le choix de jeunes

Sometimes when you long for adventure, you get a lot more than you bargained for and it can change your life - that's certainly what happened to Charlie Wilcox in this exciting and moving historical novel. All of the men in Charlie's family had been sea captains and Charlie wants to follow in their footsteps and prove himself at sea as well. His family wants a better life for him but Charlie is determined and stows away on a sealing ship.

He has the shock of his life when he discovers that he is not on a sealing ship at all, but on a troop ship headed for the trenches of World War One! As Charlie struggles to survive in the friendliness of the war, he finds he has the courage to help others and proves himself in ways he never dreamed possible.

The character of Charlie is based on the author's great uncle and fact and fiction combine to make a dramatic and unforgettable story for ages 10 and up.