London Calling
by Edward Bloor
LONDON CALLING by Edward Bloor
Category: Paranormal
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 9/26/06
Publisher: Knopf
Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel
Rating: 5 Stars
LONDON CALLING opens with a fight at school between the rich boys and the scholarship boys. A stone hits one of the
statues in the new walkway causing damage. The commotion from the fight catches the attention of the headmaster who
decides that he will determine the punishment at the end of the summer vacation. Martin dreads going back for this meeting.
He hates the school so much that he requests to have independent studies for the entire new school year.
His grandmother dies, leaving him this old radio from the 1940's. One night, Martin falls asleep listening to the sounds on the
radio and is transported back to the 1940’s in London during World War II. There he meets Jimmy, a young boy, who asks
for his help.
England during the wartime scares Martin and he can’t tell if he’s dreaming or if he’s really traveled through time. He begins
writing down names of people he meets and events that he hears mentioned to research later. Digging deeper into the past, he
begins to unravel historical differences between today’s understanding of history and the actual events. Martin realizes how
history changes--with the victor’s side writing the accounts of the events. The deeper he digs, the more truths he uncovers,
and the more the radio calls him to help Jimmy.
This fascinating book takes a look at how historical moments and figures are shaped by the outcome of an event. While this
books starts off slowly, it quickly picks up, drawing the reader deeper into Martin’s time-travel adventures. LONDON
CALLING will be a thought-provoking book for classroom discussions.
