When 13-year-old Thomas's older brother goes missing on the Western Front, Thomas has to find him. Thomas's attempts to lie about his age to join the army fail repeatedly until he and a small group of other under age boys are recruited to be Claykickers- soldiers whose only job is to tunnel toward the enemy line in order to lay explosives. Thomas, and his new found friends, will have to stay alive long enough to track down his brother in the chaos and death of war on the front lines.
I've read many a World War II books in my day, but less about World War I, and I had never heard of Claykickers. I know that there were no ideal spots to be during the war, but the job of tunneling sounded particularly brutal--the constant damp and dirt, the claustrophobia, the risk of poison gases, suffocation, and the fear of being heard by enemy tunnelers. The different boys of the group all had unique reasons for joining the army, and came from very different backgrounds, but I appreciated that they learned to support and count on each other. The ending is both devastating and joyful, so be prepared to grab the tissues. Compelling characters and an interesting plot that delves into history, makes this book highly recommended.
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