Coast Watcher

In Coast Watcher by David Hill we learn about the adventures of Frank Benson, a 19-year-old New Zealand radio operator who joins the army. Set in 1943 during World War II, the Japanese had acquired territory in the Philippines, parts of New Guinea and parts of the Solomon Islands, as well as many other areas. As a result, the countries that were fighting against Japan such as New Zealand and Australia were setting up coast watchers on different islands in the Pacific like Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Norfolk Island and the Solomon Islands. A coast watcher is someone sent to spy on someone from a far distance to find out what they are doing and what ships are leaving.

Frank and two others are sent to be Coast Watchers on the Solomon Islands (the part of the islands that are not occupied by Japan). They are dropped off by a boat in the middle of the night. They set up camp to try to find out more about what the Japanese are doing. When Frank is on the island, he meets a native Solomon Islander who takes him to the main island to tell him more about the Japanese Army that is stationed on the Solomon Islands. When Frank is visiting the native Solomon Islanders, he discovers a critical item that the navy needs to win the war.

There are some very intense scenes in this book that make it an exciting read, like when Frank is near the Japanese and needs to find a way to get out of there, otherwise he will be captured. Although I don’t really want to give anything away. I recommend this book to people that are 11 or older. This book is different than any of the other books I have read before, because it is an adventure about a real war that occurred. I really enjoyed Coast Watcher. It is well-written and has a good storyline. There is always something exciting going on in the story. I like how everyone in the book has a different personality.

This book was written by David Hill. He’s written a lot of books – more than 40 – and they’ve been published in many countries and in many different languages. His books have won awards in countries like New Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Charlie is 14 and lives in Hamilton.