With thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an early copy in return for an honest review.

This book represents why I like historical fiction so much. These stories bring historical events to life in a way that a textbook simply can't, and make it relatable. As you travel back in time with Jack and Emmie, students can begin to learn about the air raids of World War 2, the Kindertransport, and the impact World War 2 had on London/England. I think this book could also be a good launch pad for a STEM lesson as kids could learn more about building radios.

If you have readers who have enjoyed Magic Treehouse books, this is another great option for them as they get a bit older.

Okay, so, I feel like I'm not the right audience for this book because I couldn't truly enjoy it.

This is a historical fiction for children, about a couple of kids who accidentally traveled back to World War II situation in London. Throughout the book we followed their adventure trying to go back to the future while making some new friends too. I think children will like this book because its simple yet interesting. The friendships between the characters was pretty heartwarming, tho.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Modern day Jack is struggling to relate to the history of WWII. So often people of all ages think all history is nothing but a litany of dates and facts. They cannot grasp that it is the story of people, not unlike themselves, living in very different times. Someone, someday, may be reading a book about what they are experiencing right now. For me, that is the beauty and the pathos of history. This book is a wonderful story of how that we learn more by being able to put ourselves into the story than we can by dry reading.

For Jack and Emmie, the opportunity to do this is thrust upon them unwillingly. They get off a bus and walk into London, 1940, during the Blitz. Many of the children who were born in London had been transported to safer locations but the refugees from war-torn Europe arrive in the city under fire. Before they know it they are swept into the Bethnal Green Tube station during a raid. They experience the fear, despair and the depreciations first hand. Using their wits, they are able to survive and avoid capture until they can figure out a way to return to their time. Of great interest to me was the choice of the tube station as it was the scene of a great disaster later in the war.

Before the two children can return the lessons continue. They meet two very different Polish refugees who, through them, find the first true friends they have made since coming to England. By the time Jack and Emmie wave goodbye to Jan and Stan, they know the two lonely boys will support each other after they leave.

The book tells the story of the lives of everyday people during the Blitz. I have done a lot of reading and study on the Blitz. The story is a perfect way to educate subtlety through the eyes of two children. It is easy to read and understand. I would recommend it to the young reader who likes adventure stories set in the past. It is both informative and entertaining. Five purrs and two paws up.

The cover is what hooked me for this book. The author articulately brings in historical fiction into this kids book and does so well with it. It was an enchanting read and I cannot wait to share it with kids I work with.

A very evocative story of two children who are transported back to 1940 and the challenges that they find, mainly to just survive without a family. They meet two polish refugees and begin to learn more about the realities of the blitz, rather than the sanitized version they have seen in books and school.. This makes for a really good introduction to the subject and dos not shy away from many of the harsh realities of life. Of course, their major concern is whether they will ever see their homes and families again.

A great introduction for KS2 Primary school children and older to learn about some of what happened during the 2nd World War and the impact on families and children in Europe at this time.
Opened up to lots of family discussions (Rations / child transportation/ Air Raids / RAF / Bombings ) and held the kids interest throughout. Only surprise was the ending seemed quite abrupt and think the children were looking for more of a tighter closing to the story. I loved the final pages explaining interesting facts about Bethnal Green Tube station and about the children transportation across Europe before WW2 started.
A great story of time travel back to 1940 following Jack and Emmie on how they survive and discovering new friends whilst trying to understand how they can get back to the current time.
Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) from NetGalley

What a quirky little book. Was so lovely to be involved with them getting on tje bus and being transported back in time instead of like tje majority of book taking you to the future

This was a great little story. I liked that it was heavily laden with historical fact. The several points of views made it quite complex for a book that, I presume was aimed at young seniors or late primary readers . I found the ending a, little bit abrupt though.

I was drawn to this book because it featured two genres that always appeal to me - world war history and time travel. I found the story to be a fairly quick easy read that would be well suited to primary school students and would hopefully interest them in exploring the subject matter in more depth.

The story begins when Jack's teacher assigns students a writing project on what it might have been like to live in London at the time of the Blitz when children were often being sent off to live in the country. It's difficult for Jack to really imagine what it would be like and he struggles to produce anything that will please the teacher which makes him late meeting his friend Emmie at the bus stop. He almost misses the bus but gets on through the back just in time and before they know it Jack and friend Emmie find themselves in what seems like a movie scene but turns out to be London in WW2. Not only are they dealing with culture shock but they quickly learn that people will stop them and ask why they aren't in school. Life becomes a little easier when they meet Jan - a young boy who had arrived in England via Kindertransport and who is having trouble making friends among his classmates. He misses his home in Poland.

There is a little mystery thrown in when the trio encounter another youth who seems to be acting in a suspicious manner. Might he be a spy? If they do something abut him will it change their future? Can they tell anyone that they are time travelers and how can they possibly get home to their own time?

For North American readers the language may take a little getting used to and the ending of the story is pretty abrupt but overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to younger readers.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #BooksGoSocial for letting me read an advance copy. The opinions expressed are all my own.

Firstly, I love that cover - what a wonderful sense of energy and movement!

Emmie and Jack are riding the bus home from school one day when there is a sudden flash of light and they find themselves in London in 1940 - right in the middle of the Blitz. How will they survive and can they get back home?

This was a fun little book for younger readers that managed to be chock full of historical information about London in the 1949s without feeling overwhelming or infodump-y. Polish refugees Jan and Stan represent a side of WW2 that is as well represented in fiction, and I appreciated that the author chose to highlight this aspect of the war.

Weirdly (given the setting) what this book lacked was any real sense of urgency. All of the challenges Emmie and Jack face are resolved pretty easily (food, shelter, period clothing, money, suspicion from authorities). There is also no mention, anywhere, of any human connections the kids might have. By the end of the book I knew nothing about Jack or Emmie's parents, possible siblings, friends, or even much about their connection to each other in the modern day.

Overall a quick and entertaining book that will hopefully spark an interest an history for junior readers

The Blitz Bus follows Jack and his friend Emmie who find themselves sent back in time to the year 1940, and they embark on an adventure to make their way back home. Honestly, this reminded me of the Magic Tree House not only for the main premise of traveling through time and going on an adventure that’s somewhat educational, but the main characters of that series names are Jack and Annie - which is awfully similar to the main characters’ names in Blackwell’s book - and instead of a tree house, they flashed back to the past while in the bus on their way home from school. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Blackwell’s book and the story he crafted; it was educational learning about World War II from England’s perspective, the characters were intriguing, and overall this was a well-written book. I definitely recommend this book for younger readers who are looking for a historical fiction adventure.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑒-𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨/5
Age Rating: 7+
Genre: Historical Fiction/Sci Fi; Middle Grade
⚠️CW: War, bombing, starvation⚠️

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: Emmie and Jack are two normal twelve year old kids in twenty first century London. That is until they get on a bus and suddenly they're in 1940 during WWII. Emmie and Jack are alone and have to find they're way back home.

I haven't read Middle Grade in so long and sometimes that makes me sad because yes while middle grade is for younger audiences then myself. It can still be a wonderful genre of books and there's a lot of hidden gems.

This wasn't my favorite Middle Grade Historical Fiction by any means but it was still cute and enjoyable. Some parts of the plot didn't make complete sense to me but for younger children who don't dig too deep into it will probably find this to be a fun read.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
The writing was rather basic. There's nothing particularly special about the prose of this book. It's straight forward and easy to read which is perfect for younger middle grade readers.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
The characters were all very cute and fit well into the story. They weren't super developed but they fit the story and were likable.

𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
Pretty much all of this book takes place in London during the year of 1940. I wish the setting was a little bit more developed and we were able to see a bit more of what life was like in 1940 during WWll.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
This was a cute Middle Grade story. There's nothing I can be extremely critical of. I have a feeling younger children ages 7-10 would love this!

The Blitz Bus
by Glen Blackwell
Pub Date 07 Sep 2021 | Archive Date 20 Oct 2021
BooksGoSocial
Historical Fiction | Middle Grade


I am reviewing The Blitz Bus through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:


When Jack and Emmie were transported back to 1940 London they find a world that is both familiar and very different. They find themselves dodging falling bombs and over zealous policemen, they befriend Jan, a lonely Polish refugee.



Together the group finds themselves having to find out if the shadowy figure that is following them is a spy, and unlock the mystery of how they will get home again.



The Blitz Bus, would be a great read for Elementary/Primary School boys or girls who like adventures.



I give The Blitz Bus five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I actually enjoyed this book, didn't take me long to read
We fo!low Jack and Emmie who are on the bus going home to see a flash and feel a tremor and when getting off find themselves transported to 1940 and end up straight in the London underground shelter as bombs are being dropped, the kids think they are in a film set to start with until reality kicks in the next morning, they work together to try to figure out how they can get back home to their time, they make friends with 2 polish boys who have been evacuated to London and the four of them try to figure out how they can get Jack and Emmie home with out the butterfly effect happening and changing the course of history
Well written and very descriptive, a very quick and easy read

Taking a bus and travelling back in time to London in the blitz, and discovering the underground station full of beds and people hiding from bombs, What’s not to love about this book?
Sleeping in the underground station for a few nights then in an air-raid shelter, Jack and Emmie, lived through bombings and the daily life of Blitzed London, Making friends with two Polish children who had fled Poland due to the war, Jack and Emmie try to figure out how to get home to their own time. Jan helped them hide, and together with Stan, they solve the time travel mystery.
A great read for 8-13 year olds interested in history and adventure.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

What a fabulous little find this was! If you're old enough to remember the Nicholas Lyndhurst time travelling show Goodnight Sweetheart, then you're in for a treat with this one.

"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙩!"

Very well written & researched, with accurate descriptions of the sights & sounds in blitzed London. Aimed at the younger generation, but would be a delight for any age interested in England's history.

"𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙢 𝙄?"

When Jack and Emmie suddenly find themselves transported back to London in 1940, they find a world both familiar, yet very different.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 4 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Blitz Bus by Glen Blackwell

On the bus home from school, Jack and Emmie felt a big flash and the shaking of the ground. They got off to find themselves back in the past, 1940. They were stuck there and have no idea how to get back. With the help of the friend they met named Jan and a mysterious someone, will they able to get back into their time?

I was interested in this book first because of its beautiful cover and reading it, I loved it even more! This book was so fun to read. I learned a lot about World War II in England's perspective and I feel smart now. The characters were incredible and shoutout to Emmie for being my favourite character. It was definitely a page turner for me and I love it so much!

This book comes out in 9.7.21 and I recommend ya'll to go and buy it when it comes out!

In the same vein as Mr. Barrington's Travelling Trunk (Texas history) or the Magic Tree House (everything history) series, this book has our two protagonists wondering why they should care about an aspect of history...and suddenly whisked away into the past to learn exactly why! The time traveling premise was a little loose....they ride a bus to the past?...but the historic elements of the book were well developed and quite educational.

3.5 stars

I just realised I'm way outside the target audience for this book because I finished it in less than 20 minutes :/

This book follows two children, Jack and Emmie who are suddenly transported to London in the 1940s on their way home. They try their best to survive; make friends, get information, do everything without altering anything which could impact the future.

I'm 100% sure children will love this book without taking a second to ponder over the little details I did. Just how are these children allowed to use a calculator from primary school? I was in year 9 when I was first allowed to use a calculator :(

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Great reading book for primary school students.
The book was easy to read and follow, with enjoyable characters and a great scene setting information.
The Blitz Bus is also informative to young students, with historical information woven into an enjoyable story.
Would be a great read to recommend to students who are learning about, or interested in World War Two; particularly from a British perspective.