num_pages: 162
description: Winner of the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year, the Geoffrey Bilson Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, and an ALA Notable Books List selectionMartin O'Boy's life is not easy. His beloved Granny has just died, his pregnant mother and father fight all the time and his twin, Phil, is completely incapacitated. Martin is the one his mother counts on.But life in Ottawa's Lowertown is not all bad. He has his best friend, Billy Batson (a.k.a. Captain Marvel), the movies, his cat Cheap and there's the glamorous Buz from next door, who is off at the war.As the war comes to an end with the bombing of Hiroshima -- on Martin's birthday -- Ottawa is in a state of turmoil. Returning soldiers, parties, fights and drunks fill the streets.It would all be very exciting, except for one thing. In their endless pursuit of more funds Martin and Billy have joined the church choir -- as summer boys. And the organist, Mr. T.D.S. George, is awfully fond of Martin. But Martin, despite his hardships, has a pure soul and his Granny's love, Billy's friendship, Buz's imminent return, and even his mother's reliance on him, which help him to deliver a kind of justice to Mr. George, and to heal himself and others.
language: English
title: Boy O'Boy
titlecomplete: Boy O'Boy
genres: Abuse, Fiction, Canada, Young Adult
ratings_count: 36
places: Ottawa, Ontario
series: Martin O'Boy
awards: awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award
category: Adult Middle Reader, awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
publisher: Groundwood Books