The Trenches

The Trenches
Jim Eldridge
Scholastic Canada Ltd
ISBN: 0-439-93882-1
Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

The Trenches is one title in a growing collection of historical novels in the My Story series. While fictional, each of these books is based upon real events and common experiences during the first and second World Wars. As such, both the heroic and the more dreary aspects of war are explored.
The main character of The Trenches is Billy Stevens from Britain. Like many boys during World War I, Billy and his best friend Rob Matthews lied about their age to join the military. They were eager to start helping with the war and the thought of waiting made them feel like cowards.
At first, both boys were trained as infantry bound for the front lines. However, Billy was quickly transferred to the communications division as he had worked at the telegraph office and had experience in this specialized area. So as Billy was held back in Britain for further training, Rob was sent to the front lines to fight in the war. Eventually, however, both boys would experience life (and death) on the front lines.
I believe that The Trenches showed a very balanced view of the war and being at the front lines. Billy and Rob, like most young men who volunteered for service, were eager to join the war effort but had no real understanding of what that entailed. Perhaps, that makes their effort and sacrifices that much more valuable.