This novel in verse is based on the experiences of Ken Sparks, who, at 13, survived a harrowing eight days on a lifeboat in the Atlantic. Ken was a child evacuee from England heading toward Canada, part of an organized effort during the Blitz in WWII. Ken is eager to escape the bombings and considers his trip aboard the SS City of Benares an adventure. As one of the oldest, he tries to buoy the spirits of younger boys in his group. The ship is luxurious; compared to the meager rations back home, each meal is a veritable feast. Six hundred miles out, though, the Benares is struck by a U-boat torpedo. Ken boards Lifeboat 12. As the night passes, crewmen aboard the lifeboat suspect that rescue efforts have missed them. Over the next week, the 46 passengers— among them six boys—struggle to survive on strictly rationed food and water. They suffer sunburn, trench foot, and sheer boredom; to pass the time, the boys’ escort, Mary Cornish, invents a story, which she doles out in parts day by day. This well-researched, fast-paced, exciting survival story is followed by end matter that includes photographs and additional information about the survivors, including the South Asian sailors (Lascars) who were not identified by name in contemporary news reports of the rescue. (Ages 8–12)

“This page-turning true-life adventure is filled with rich and riveting details and a timeless understanding of the things that matter most.”—Dashka Slater, author of The 57 Bus
“Brilliantly told in verse, readers will love Ken Sparks.” —Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery Honor winner
“Lyrical, terrifying, and even at times funny. A richly detailed account of a little-known event in World War II.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Middle grade Titanic fans, here’s your next read.” —BCCB
“An edge-of-your seat survival tale.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

A Junior Library Guild Selection
The 2019 Golden Kite Middle Grade Fiction Award Winner
A 2019 ALSC Notable Children’s Book
The 2019–2020 Lectio Book Award Winner
The 2020–2021 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award List
The 2020 Oklahoma Library Association’s Children’s Sequoyah Book Award Winner
The Connecticut Book Award Winner

In the tradition of The War That Saved My Life and Stella By Starlight, this poignant novel in verse based on true events tells the story of a boy’s harrowing experience on a lifeboat after surviving a torpedo attack during World War II.

With Nazis bombing London every night, it’s time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he’s one of the lucky ones—one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada.

Life aboard the luxury ship is grand—nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum’s glare. And after five days at sea, the ship’s officers announce that they’re out of danger.

They’re wrong.

Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They’ve been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive?

Award-winning author Susan Hood brings this little-known World War II story to life in a riveting novel of courage, hope, and compassion. Based on true events and real people, Lifeboat 12 is about believing in one another, knowing that only by banding together will we have any chance to survive.