Notes

Jack & Sandy starts in 2001 when Jack and his best mate Eddie finish high school and embark on a week-long kayaking adventure on the Waihou River which winds its way to the Firth of Thames and Te Ara Moana – the sea-going pathway for kayaks which skirts Auckland’s eastern coastline. Reading about familiar locations was a buzz and even if you’re not fortunate to live on the Firth of Thames, the rural and coastal environments will be familiar to many young readers.

Both boys know they’ve got tough decisions to make about their futures but Jack has other concerns. Unbeknown to his father, Alec, Jack’s real mission is to meet his long-estranged grandfather, Sandy, who disappeared from family life decades ago. The twist revealed, Kerr takes readers back to 1931 when Sandy and his best mate Billy have limited prospects in their Scottish shipbuilding town so opt to become merchant seamen.

At first, sailing the world’s oceans and visiting foreign ports is a great adventure but when WWII breaks out, they find themselves on a dangerous convoy to the island of Malta. This is based on Operation Substance, a real event where six fast merchant ships protected by 25 warships raced from Gibraltar across the Mediterranean to relieve besieged Malta. The voyage will have far-reaching ramifications for Sandy’s family and future.

Kerr’s own father was one of the merchant seamen who took part in Operation Substance. He’s made good use of family photos and stories, like the one about a kangaroo onboard the ship, to illustrate the book and add deft personal details to it. A two-page spread, featuring a synopsis about Operation Substance, a map and timeline, will appeal to history lovers and, if nothing else, the book will be useful reference for studying WWII.