AWOL in North Africa

Ghosts of War #3

by Steve Watkins

Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie have been doing everything they can to avoid the battered trunk full of old military things in his family's junk shop basement. Only, staying away seems impossible, and this time Anderson discovers a dusty World War II medic's bag inside the trunk. But who does it belong to? Because if the friends have learned anything, it's that they are about to be face-to-face with a ghost.

When an army medic ghost appears, Anderson's not sure how to help him. Or if he should help him. The ghost claims he was stationed in North Africa during World War II. But as far as Anderson knows, World War II was fought in Europe. So what's the real story behind this ghost?

Can Anderson, Greg, and Julie solve the mystery, or have they become part of a dangerous haunting?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, War

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2016

About the author

Steve Watkins is the author of the young adult novels Stolen by Night, On Blood Road, Juvie, What Comes After, and Great Falls, as well as the middle-grade novels Down Sand Mountain, Sink or Swim, and the Ghosts of War series, including The Secret of Midway, Lost at Khe Sanh, AWOL in North Africa, and Fallen in Fredericksburg.

A former professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, Steve is the cofounder and editor of Pie & Chai, a monthly magazine that you can find and read online at pieandchaimagazine.com.

Reviews

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first two in the series, but still a fun, quick read.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children who have an interest in war stories or in ghost stories will likely enjoy this book. Anderson tells the story in the first person point of view, but the story includes Greg and Julie almost as much as it includes Anderson, with only a few scenes where Anderson is not with one or the other of his friends. The story begins with Greg arriving late to the trio’s band practice, which the trio hold in Anderson’s uncle Dex’s junk shop. Greg is bleeding badly from having had a rubber chicken thrown at him, so Anderson looks in Dex’s collection of war artefacts for a WWII medical bag they’d remembered seeing there. Since they have already faced two ghosts who have come as a result of their searches in this collection, they are not surprised when the original owner of the bag appears. The ghost is a friendly one who has an unstable connection to the living, though a predictable ability to pop in and out just in time to answer questions the crew has or to receive answers they’re excited to share with him, and he disappears after giving just enough information to move the plot forward. The journey the trio have as a result of the ghost is an interesting one, leading to lessons about blacks in the service and about conscientious objectors and the many attitudes that played a significant part of American history. Watkins also included lots of information about the battlefront in northern Africa. Parts of the story do get a little bogged down in details that don’t contribute strongly to the plot, though they might be interesting for history buffs. The story also includes the sub-plots of the group’s battles with a neighborhood bully and youthful experiences with music that help anchor the book in the middle grade reader genre.

[Hayden Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the beginning I think you should probably read the first book before you read this book. But just to catch you up. So far they have done 2 ghost stories and now they are trying to avoid the trunk full of military stuff. But when Greg walked in late and is bloody all over he says that a chicken hit him. Not just any ordinary chicken but a rubber chicken. So they have to go in the old trunk because Julie told them that she thought she saw a medics kit was in there. Even when Anderson went to the trunk he said it was like it was already waiting for him opened. When he got it out and started helping Greg that's when the ghost showed up. I think that a theme for this would be be good to your friends. Everybody is always nice to each other (well most of the time). And because they are solving all of the ghost mysteries together. I also think it could be that because they help each other like when Greg got hit by the chicken. Anderson went and looked for it in the end even though he didn't think he would find anything. I really liked this book because it was about history. I also really like things that are out of the ordinary because. It can't happen but in a book anything can happen. That that really relates to this book because well it has ghosts and that is pretty crazy. I also liked this book because he really took some time to figure out all of this. I think it would take a lot of time to find the names and you would also have to read about this book and study it. That is why I like this book.

[Jack Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWOL in North Africa starts out with, anderson and his friend Julie are waiting in anderson's uncle's basement, they are waiting for greg, another band member, to get there. However when he does get their he has a bloody head! Anderson goes to look for some band aids but finds a ww11 medic pouch! Greg, Anderson and Julie has experienced this before. Whenever they find a old war item, a ghost mystery starts up! When they start bandaging up Greg with some gauze they found in the bag, they hear a voice behind them, they turn around and find a ghost medic! they must help him so they interrogate him about where he served. He says that he was fighting in north africa in ww11. Anderson and his friend are clueless if there was a battle in ww11 fought in north africa. They find out his name was John Wolloman. They enlist the help of resources such as John's relative, John Wolloman III, who sends them the original John Wolloman's letters from when he was serving in the war. they also enlist the help of another man who fought alongside John. but it turns suspicious when the man who fought alongside John seems to notice John peeking in on their conversation. at the end he tells Anderson and his friends to "say hi to John for me." They suspect that he knows or saw that John was there. They go back to the basement and the ghost pops up. They know they are running out of time

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I like adventure. I also liked this book because I like chests.

[Stacy Stoker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. I learned quite a bit about WWII in Africa. I didn't love the premise of the book, but I think my fifth graders will.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My oldest son and I love this series! You learn so much history from it and it is written so well that you just don't want to put it down.

[Seamus G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book:).

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my 10 year old son. He loved it.

He did a book project on it and did really well. Let me know if you need any help - I feel like I studied this book more than I should have.

Please note this is the 3rd book in a series. Although, it did stand alone as a great read there were some parts that came from the other books.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good ghost story about a World War II army medic who served in North Africa. Fun series!

[Patricia]

Another well-written book. I really like this series, and hope it continues. Though I'm ancient, I do love reading how authors treat the subject of wartime for younger readers.

[Luke Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an ok book. It had a lot of action and detail but the story line was kind of weird but all in all it was ok.

[Semih Sen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book to hear about not only the action soldiers lived, but civilians lived when the Third Reich invaded North Africa. The Nazi regime ever so quickly grows, pain and destruction are what’s caused of this tyranny’s actions. The actions of an insane individual who wants to conquer the world with an iron fist or destroy whomever refuses his rule.