B for Buster [Audio CD]

Iain Lawrence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

Set during the spring of 1943, Lawrence's novel is a harrowing account of combat told from the perspective of 16-year-old Kak. Like Jack in Harry Mazer's The Last Mission (1979), Kak lies about his age in order to join the air force. But Jack, a Jewish American, wants to fight Hitler; Kak, nicknamed for his tiny Canadian hometown, just wants to flee his loveless, abusive parents and "like Captain Marvel . . . change [himself] from a boy to a hero." After his first "op," though, Kak is deeply shaken. Bert, who cares for the pigeons, finds a way to comfort the boy by putting a prize pigeon in his care. The dense mechanical specifics of planes and equipment may slow some readers, but the tender lessons of courage that Kak learns from Bert and his bird are captivating. In Kak's young, raw voice, Lawrence writes a gripping, affecting story about the thrill of flying, the terrifying realities of war, and the agony of reconciling personal fears and ideals with duty and bravery. Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• ISBN-10: 1419387669
• ISBN-13: 978-1419387661
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,993,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Boy And His Bird, March 17, 2005

By 

Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: B for Buster (Hardcover)

Young Kak is only sixteen when he runs away from home, pretends he's an orphan, and winds up far away from his native Canada overseas in the wilds of Yorkshire (England) on an air base preparing to train for the flight crew of a Halifax bomber. The first man he runs into is someone from his home town, Donny Lee, the only one in England who might guess his secret--that he is underage.

Thus the novel depends on an amazing coincidence which cripples its credibility right at the start. However, once that nonsense is out of the way, we get a tender and yet exciting war story about the relationship between a flight crew and their pigeon. Yes, you heard me right, apparently before each sortie over occupied Europe a homing pigeon was brought on board and used for all sorts of things, but in Kak's case, little Percy, exquisitely described by teacher Lawrence, becomes his only friend. At first Kak is turned off by Bert, the pigeoneer, dirty and messy, slovenly and fragrant, butb then when he finds out Bert's "back story" he becomes more sympathetic, if horrified. Because there but for the Grace of God went he himself.

All the boys in the flight crew carry a lucky charm of some sort; one carries a handkerchief doused with a woman's perfume somewhere on his body, and young Kak wears a ring with a ray-gun on it. He is a comics fan and loves SUPERMAN and BUCK ROGERS. The epilogue reveals that all of this story was based on reality, and it is Lawtence's tribute to the brave Canadian boys who went to war against the Nazi menace.

I didn't realize this was a book meant for kids, but it did strike me as improbable the ultra clean language of these bombadiers. About the raciest thing any of them says is "Wheezy jeezy,"--oh, and one of the British speakers under extreme provocation exclaims, "What a bloody balls-up." Outside of that, dialogue is not Iain Lawrence's forte, but he is such a good storyteller that you will forgive him such primness.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars B For Buster review, January 3, 2005

By 

matt s "motormatt" (Bridgewater, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: B for Buster (Hardcover)

Desperate to escape from a negligent home with an alcholic father, 16 year old Kak lies about his age and enlists in the Canadian Army. He expects it to be like the adventures of his favorite comicbook heroes, where good vanquish's evil and after it's over everything is going to be fine. After his first op in a plane that has had almost every part of it reparied, he realizes that the ops are really terrifing and he finds himself scared to even get back on the plane. He finds himself befriending the pigeoneer and finds comfort in talking to him and spending time with the pigeons. Kak cant keep this up forever and after his friend from his hometown dies he realizies what can hapen to him or his crew at any time. Even though it started out slow, I thought this was very well writen and anyone who enjoys reading books about World War II should pick up "B For Buster".

5.0 out of 5 stars A SUMMER READING I ACTUALLY ENJOYED, August 30, 2006

By 

Just A Reader (syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: B for Buster (Hardcover)

I chose this book off a list of books to read over the summer. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good WWII story that really shows the psychological toll the war took on its soldiers as well as page-turning action. A book that I thought would take me a month to read, I read in three days. Its one you can't put down.