It can be difficult to interest young readers in history, especially if they can’t see how it is relevant to their daily lives. Author and educator Jennifer Maruno tries to address this challenge through Richard Fuller, the 15-year-old protagonist of her latest novel.

Growing up in Depression-era Niagara Falls, Richard takes a job assisting a baker, who is also a cook for a local regiment. Richard decides to join the regiment’s training camp after watching them put on an exciting demonstration. When war breaks out in September 1939, he lies about his age and enlists, in the hope that he will get to see the world.

After shipping out with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, Richard learns about life as a soldier in wartime England. While on leave in London, he and his friend Jack are caught in an horrific air raid; Jack is killed and Richard ends up in hospital, where his true age is discovered. He is sent home, having never made it to the front.

The story of an underage soldier during the Second World War has the potential to interest young readers, but, unfortunately, Richard is not an engaging character. Much of the plot development takes place offstage, so we don’t see how Richard feels about the challenges he faces.

The book also suffers from the inclusion of too many terms and concepts (e.g., Luftwaffe, Mussolini, allotment gardens) that will likely be unfamiliar to readers without prior historical knowledge. And with several plot lines left unresolved, Kid Soldier is unlikely to encourage teenagers to learn more about this era in history.