June 1940. Will Maskall is twelve years old and up till now has more or less been enjoying the war. From his perspective it has brought about changes to his native seaside town of Brighton which are endlessly fascinating to explore: Spitfires, disrupted lessons, easy pennies, mutoscopic voyeurism, gun batteries on the seafront and the Luftwaffe freely distributing highly collectible shiny cannon shells when Messerschmitt 109s strafe Will and his best mate Jamie on the streets. Brenda, one of Jamie's neighbours, is nine years old and has a different take on the war...and the boys for that...