The Coastwatcher — Elise Weston

Day after day, Hugh looks for signs of German spies. It seems like a harmless way to spend time...at least at first.

It's the summer of 1943 and America is at war. Eleven-year-old Hugh and his family are spending the summer on the South Carolina coast. Day after day Hugh scans the Atlantic Ocean through his binoculars, looking for signs of enemy activity.

Then one day Hugh sees something in the water that looks like a periscope. Later he plucks a black bag out of the surf. Inside is a crudely drawn map. Then one night he spots a light flashing from the cupola at the top of an abandoned beach house. Have enemy soldiers invaded the coastline?

Set against the backdrop of the home front during World War II, Elise Weston's dramatic adventure will draw readers in with its exciting blend of mystery and history. Young people will also respond to the sympathetic protagonist who learns that war is not a distant and exciting game, but a grim reality involving real people and real danger.