Radar and the Raft

When I look at lists of books available for review, one of the things I keep my eyes open for is realistic historical fiction or nonfiction in the form of a story for children. I have always loved studying history myself, and I especially like it in story form—but I do not like the fantasy/time travel style that is popular right now. I was delighted to find, recently, the book Radar and the Raft, a story about survival and an amazing rescue during World War II. When I received my digital copy, I skimmed through the first several chapters to see if it would be suitable for a family read-aloud, and when I determined that it was pretty clean, I read it to my children.

What a story! We all loved Radar and the Raft. The chapters alternate between the two stories; first there is a chapter about the Bell family and their predicament, and then a chapter about the science leading to the use of radar during World War II. I thought this was a very effective way to teach about that; if the story of the shipwreck and rescue had not been woven through the book, the science part would have become rather boring to me. However, with the exciting survival story in between chapters about scientific discoveries, this book kept us engrossed from beginning to end. This is one that I want to buy a print copy of!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 4: (Note about U-boats) “Get the hell out of here.” Chapter 6: Shipwreck, people killed, O my God, for God’s sake, the poor devil, for heaven’s sake. Chapter 7: Pretty darn close. Chapter 8: Poor devil, Oh God, damned stupid, last paragraph talks about evolution. Chapter 10: Dead man eaten by sharks, friggin’ women, this damned thing, damn you. Chapter 13: U-boat sunk, (in note) woman kills man with rifle, you damned fools, guns fired at people, you sons of bitches, by God

Radar and the Raft alternates chapters telling a riveting true WWII survival story with detailed scientific information about scientific discoveries related to the radar. The Bell family's voyage across the Atlantic to flee Europe becomes harrowing when a German U-boat torpedoes their ship, leaving them on the water in lifeboats and hoping for rescue. The retelling of their journey is interspersed with chapters introducing readers to the science and the scientists that played an instrumental role in the development of radar, The connections between science and history provides a unique and engaging angle to an already compelling piece of history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the digital arc.
The story unfolds through alternating chapters for two timelines, one detailing the escape of the Bell Family from WWII the Ivory Coast of Africa, and while the other traces the scientific development of radar. The Bell's escape was fraught with frustration, delays and uncertainty as they tried to reach the coast and secure a spot on a ship heading west. The ocean voyage over the Atlantic shipping lanes could turn deadly at any moment as they were targeted by the German U-boats. The Bell family boarded the cargo ship West Lashaway in September 1942 with the first week at sea providing a false sense of security, which would soon turn the adventure into a fight for survival. The second timeline traces the scientific discoveries needed to invent “radar” which ultimately led to the rescue of the lifeboat with the Bells. This is a multidisciplinary nonfiction book. Undeniably a survival , but with WW II history, the science of radar, and personal histories, it checks a lot of boxes and would have wide appeal. Photos, documents, end notes and a bibliography complete this title. Highly recommend for everyone from middle school through adult.