Flying Ace: Errol’s Gander Adventure

Flying Ace: Errol’s Gander Adventure is the sequel to Sheilah Lukins’ award-winning Full Speed Ahead: Errol’s Bell Island Adventure. When Errol, the adventurous mouse, sees a young girl, Natasha, playing with a model airplane, he can’t resist asking her to fly it. She kindly gives him a ride, explaining it’s a very old plane that belonged to her great-uncle Dan. Dan was a radio operator in the Second World War, and this was a model replica of a Lockheed Hudson bomber. Seeing Errol’s enthusiasm, she invites him join her family the next day when they will travel to Gander and visit the aviation museum.

After the museum visit, Natasha leaves Errol in the room at the inn while her family goes for a walk. Not able to resist sitting in the plane, he pretends to be a pilot, but, after a while, he is tired of playing and begins to exit the plane. He trips, hits his head, and the next thing he knows he’s at the Gander airport in the middle of World War II. He has travelled back in time.

Young readers, eager to read chapter books, will find the excitement of Errol’s adventure, the pacing of the story, and the varied and interesting characterization fascinating. The time travel element, when Errol finds himself actually flying the bomber model plane as a decoy to save Dan’s plane from an enemy attack, will captivate the reader. Laurel Keating’s bright, colourful full page illustrations enhance the story and provide visual context clues. The bold, well-spaced text is easy to read. Some of the vocabulary associated with the plane and flying might be challenging, but early readers can be encouraged to determine the meaning through contextual clues. The three to five page chapters will assist the young reader in navigating through a chapter book at a successful rate.

Flying Ace: Errol’s Gander Adventure provides its young audience with a motivating and exciting reading experience that can be attempted independently. It would also be a good read- aloud story that could lead to stimulating discussions about history, geography, bravery and adventure. The website errolthemouse.com provides further information about Errol as well as cool facts about Gander and teacher resources.