The Newbery Award-winning author of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice tells a heartfelt and humorous story of WWII on the homefront.
Millie McGonigle lives in sunny California, where her days are filled with beach and surf. It should be perfect--but times are tough. Hitler is attacking Europe and it looks like the United States may be going to war. Food is rationed and money is tight. And Millie's sickly little sister gets all the attention and couldn't be more of a pain if she tried. It's all Millie can do to stay calm and feel in control.
Still--there's sand beneath her feet. A new neighbor from the city, who has a lot to teach Millie. And surfer boy Rocky to admire--even if she doesn't have the guts to talk to him.
It's a time of sunshine, siblings, and stress. Will Millie be able to find her way in her family, and keep her balance as the the world around her loses its own?---from the publisher
224 pages 978-1984850102 Ages 8-12
Keywords: historical fiction, war, World War II, sisters, boys, family, family life, illness, military, social situations, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, loss, coming of age
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This is not the best of times for Millie McGonigle. It's 1941 and Millie's family is struggling. Her father lost his store in the Great Depression and now has a job flipping burgers at the local hamburger joint. Her little sister, Lily, has asthma, and she is the reason the family can't go anywhere. Hardest of all, Millie has lost her beloved Gram. Before Gram passed away she told Millie to notice the dead things and write them in a book. Millie spends hours discovering dead things and listing them in her Book of Dead Things. It's morbid and morose and depressing.... which pretty much sums up Millie.
This book is set in the earliest days of World War II when boats are being sunk and Hitler is mesmerizing millions of people. Millie lives in San Diego, California so the war feels far away. But when December 7, 1941 comes along, the war gets a whole lot closer with the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Kids who tease and boys with muscles. A little sister who can best be described as "a pill." Mud flats and dinner after dinner of perch. It's a gray world. It's a world where very little light slips in.
The book is brimming with trivia and products and sayings of the American 40s. Investigators may enjoy reading about the era.
A depressed girl, a struggling family, the fears of polio and the fears of war create an atmosphere of sorrow and hopelessness. Where will Millie find her footing?
Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
Other Reviews:
Review "Transforms grim history into a light for dark times." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A lively choice for historical fiction fans.” —Booklist
“Newbery Medalist Cushman melds historical detail and generous humor in this gently paced novel of family travails and sociopolitical tensions set in 1941 California.” —Publishers Weekly
“World War II raises the stakes, though, presenting a momentous obstacle that even the most determined child cannot fully master, but renaming her journal Book of Life helps Millie make a fresh start.” —The Bulletin
"A must-buy for school and children’s libraries looking to expand their historical fiction selections.” —School Library Journal
