Books like The Little Ship by Margaret Mayhew

The story follows Matt, Guy, and cousin Lizzie living along the Essex coast in the early 1930s, who spend carefree holiday seasons exploring an old boat. Their lives intersect with Anna, a young Jewish refugee from Vienna, and Otto, a Berlin boy sent to an English public school as a spy for his Nazi father. Over time, friendships strain under political tension, personal rivalries, and hidden fears: Otto and Guy clash at school, Otto secretly falls for Anna despite his prejudices, Matt battles a deep terror of the sea, and Lizzie envies Anna. A fragile summer friendship is cemented when the group sails together, carving their initials on the ship "Rose of England." As war erupts, the crew confronts their differences and fears. In May 1940, during the desperate Dunkirk evacuation, their little ship defies the odds and sails to rescue survivors, bringing their intertwined destinies to a dramatic climax.

First publish date: 1999