Flying Ghosts

by Shirlee Smith Matheson

Fifteen-year-old Jay Smith's quite life in the Alaska wilderness is shattered when his uncle, Midnight, arrives in his yellow Norseman airplane with news of war. It is 1942, and Canada and the United States have joined forces in a desperate bid to defend North America against Japanese attack. Together the two countries will build a 1,500-mile highway through the wilderness in only eight months. Suddenly Jay's life is filled with adventure and the colorful characters he meets working along the Alaska Highway. As the highway nears completion, Midnight disappears in the Valley of Lost Planes, and Jay sets off to find him. But will a strange old prospector named Goldbug, who guards lost planes, let him into the valley?

162 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Shirlee Smith Matheson has written many books for young people and adults, including numerous junior novels and non-fiction works. Currently living and writing in Calgary, she is the author of "Keeper of the Mountains" (Thistledown), "Fastback Reach" (Orca), and "Lost: True Stories of Canadian Aviation Tragedies" (Fifth House).


Shirlee Smith Matheson a native of Winnipeg, has written more than a dozen fiction and non-fiction Canadian adventure books for readers of all ages, bringing to life the stories of real Canadians for young and old alike. During a distinguished writing career that spans more than fifteen years, Matheson has served as a writer-in-residence in several western-Canadian cities, taught numerous courses on writing, and conducted popular writing workshops in schools and libraries across the west.

Reviews

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were a teenager I believe I would really enjoy this work of historical fiction for young adults by Shirlee Smith Matheson. Jay Smith, aged 15, is living in the Alaska wilderness with his parents and sister during World War Two. He goes to work on the Alaska Highway, a joint effort between Canada and the U.S. His adventures are too numerous to recount, but there is enough action to keep any teenager (or adult) turning the pages. Skilfully woven into the story is a lot of historical detail about the communities of Liard, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, and others that were most affected by the highway project. This book would be a great learning tool for school teachers or librarians, and in fact I learned a lot about this fascinating aspect of wartime history, too.