London Calling by Edward BloorAlfred A. Knopf, 2006

Time-travel and lost souls and lots of Catholicism: this book could so easily be so bad, but it’s well-written and actually quite pleasing. Martin’s depressed, bullied at school and feeling pressured by his mom to live up to the reputation of his grandfather, who worked with the Kennedies. But then Martin starts having vivid dreams set in London during the Blitz: dreams full of details he can’t have known or made up, details that turn out to be true. I liked all the history in this book: and, of course, the way that history goes from being something dull Martin learns about in school to something that’s alive, that’s real to him, that matters.