London Calling - Edward Bloor

Have you ever thought you could travel back in time through a radio? Well Martin Conway doesn't think so until he actually does. A few days after school ends his Nana passes away and her will stated that he get her Philco 20 Delux radio that she's had since 1940. After he brings it home he plugs it in and falls asleep. He is the transported back to 1940 where he meets an 8 year old kid named Jimmy. Jimmy takes him to the American Embassy where Martin sees General Hank "Holleren" Lowery in the flesh. After Martin wakes up he writes down names and places he sees, so he can check to make sure they are real. Shortly before the school year starts up again there is a disiplinary hearing at All Souls Prep for the altercation between Martin, Pinak, Manetti and Hennry Lowry, great grandson of General Lowry, that damaged a statue base on the last day of school in May. As a result of this hearing Manetti is expelled, Pinak can stay at All Souls Prep, and Martin decides to do independent study so he doesn't have to go back. He continues to time travel to 1940 and one night he's in the middle of the London Blitz on December 29, 1940. Jimmy ends up dying and that leads Martin on a fact finding mission about everything he's seen, and the truth about General Lowry. It helps that his sister works for an encyclopedia company so he can verify names, places, and dates easily. Shortly after New Years he calls his dad and asks him to come to London with him so he can check out the places he's seen. Martin also has another misson, find Jimmy's father and tell his father that Jimmy should have listened to him and not gone out the night of the Blitz, as a promise he made to Jimmy before he passed away in the London Blitz.
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read much historical fiction, but for some reason this one grabbed my attention and it held on till the end.
T.B. 5/9/07