Gr 3–6—In a series of letters home to his younger brother, Charlie, Joe describes life as an American soldier stationed in England during World War II. "War is just life with bigger bullies," he writes, encouraging Charlie to stand up to his tormentors, and sharing his own struggles working alongside a bully. He writes about the mud and rain, details of civilian life like rationing and blackouts, and a dog the soldiers adopt. When Joe and his bully are sent on a secret assignment, Joe faces risks that threaten the mission and his life. Except for letters from Charlie that bookend the story, the exchange goes one way, with Joe referring to Charlie's letters to fill in details of life back home. The format removes readers from the action and creates emotional distance. The approach of this high-interest, low-level book creates a story appropriate for younger readers but lessens its appeal as an action-packed war novel. The book is historically accurate beyond the license the author takes, and acknowledges, about how much information about D-Day preparations the censors would have allowed.
VERDICT Slightly older readers looking for a moving account of life in wartime England will do better with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life, but Nobleman's book serves its purpose as a gentler introduction to the genre for younger children.
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