Dodger Boy

Sarah Ellis’s latest middle grade novel, Dodger Boy, is a triumph. It is pure, classic Sarah Ellis: funny, wise, and reassuring. Perfect for philosophical tweens aged 10 through 13, this work of historical fiction set in Vancouver during the Vietnam War asks—and answers—big questions that can’t fail to entertain, inform, and move readers.

As always with Ellis’s middle-grade fiction, the characters create the magic. In this case, 13-year-old Charlotte is impossible to resist. Equally compelling as the sharply insightful, Jane Austin-loving protagonist is the cast of intriguing secondary characters. Charlotte’s life changes when a 19-year-old draft dodger moves in with her Quaker family. Tom Ed’s decision to leave home to escape mandatory military service in a war he believes is morally wrong inspires Charlotte to think differently about life, as does his willingness to discuss the matter and other big issues in life with her in his exotic Texan accent. Her Quaker family is sympathetic to Tom’s moral position and charmed by his exquisite Southern manners. Life becomes more interesting with Tom Ed around—until it gets too interesting when Charlotte’s best friend and brother both develop crushes on the irresistible stranger. This complicates life and leaves Charlotte preoccupied with difficult questions just at the moment she’s poised to take her own moral stand, speaking up in favour of her English teacher over a kerfuffle that arises in class when a parent tries to ban The Catcher in the Rye. In one of Ellis’ most satisfying narrative resolutions, Charlotte finds her voice and makes peace with everyone she cares about.

Dodger Boy is a must-read for all middle-schoolers. Certainly, it will provide useful curriculum tie-ins, offering a clear window into a bygone era as exciting as it was perplexing for those who lived through it. Certainly, it tackles issues of ethics and identity in a deft, child-centered manner. But, best of all, it’s a great story, following the journey of irresistibly realistic characters. Middle-grade fiction does not get better than this. As always, Ellis sets the bar.