Lifeboat 5

Gr 4-8–Hood’s latest is a companion story to Lifeboat 12 that highlights the powerful strength of friendship and family in the most perilous of events. Bess, 15, is desperate to escape the German airstrikes in London and the personal attacks made by school bullies. She convinces her parents to allow her and her 10-year-old brother, Louis, to apply to the evacuation lottery provided by the Children’s Overseas Reception Board. When they win a spot on the SS City of Benares traveling to Canada, Bess is ready for the fresh start. Life on a luxury liner is exciting for the 90 children and their chaperones. Bess even finds a friend who finally understands and accepts her wholeheartedly. But when a German U-Boat torpedo strikes their ship, it becomes a race against time to evacuate and survive in the frigid water until help arrives. This novel-in-verse evokes the raw emotions of a teenager, her curious brother, and the relentless sea all struggling to find peace and safety in this lesser-known tragic World War II nautical event. Extensive research, notes, and photographs offer readers a closer look at understanding the sinking of the Benares and the effects it had on the war effort and survivors.