A compelling drama has Jack and the town of Wallsend celebrate the arrival of a mahoosive British battleship at the end of his street. Wallsend is a major shipyard, and his dad has been building ships galore, and still works at the yard, while mum is in an ammunition family, and the older brother of the family is away serving. They don't have a lot, but are happy to share it with Frank, a gunner from onboard, for a few days. But the thing about battleships, even when in dock for a long weekend of urgent repair, is that they kind of bring the war with them – and for people like Frank, what they've seen stays with them always, too…

This isn't however a drama where Jack gets to learn the truth of war, even if his thoughts on the navy certainly develop throughout. No, it's about the spirit of the civilians in WW2 – there is a host of knackered people but they will still delight in a game of football as a way of brightening up their day. They have little and will prioritise other people, with their time, energy and perhaps rations. So this is to nudge us to recognising extraordinary sacrifice in the non-combatants.

To start at the end, I loved the way everything was tied up – although as there is no note about it being true I have to assume it's entirely fictional. Either way, it's a great beat, and so much that has gone before has succeeded in being atmospheric, entertaining, dramatic and everything one could wish. Well, it was for me – but it has to be said that as this is in a specific reading level scheme, the vocab is at the higher end. No effort has been made to Barrington Stoke-ise this, and bring it to a level of simplicity for certain reading abilities. It's fairly large print and illustrated, but not for the routine primary school reader.

That said, there is little reason to dismiss this – it is a distinctive achievement, bringing the human souls out from their sooty tenements and giving them a chance to sparkle in the daylight. It's a healthy four stars.

This is the first book I've read in the Collins Big Cat Read On series and I hope that there will be more of a similar quality. The story is simple but pacy. The main thing for me, with this book, is that the subject matter is going to appeal to older children. It can often be a challenge to find books for children reaching the end of a reading scheme, on subjects that are interesting and age appropriate. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations, which still had that "school reading book" feel to them, but otherwise, this was a good book.

The story is set in 1944 Tyneside and follows Jack and his parents, who live near the shipyard. When a warship arrives for repairs, Jack and his family get to know one of the young soldiers, Frank, who is a similar age to Jack's brother, Gordon, who is away fighting.

I look forward to reading more.