Lila Perl travels territory rarely seen in children's books: the American homefront during World War II, in a Jewish-American family.
Through 12-year-old Isabel Brandt's first-person narrative, readers learn how the war affects her family and friends' daily lives in the summer of 1942. Inconveniences, such as a lack of supplies, soon evolve into growing anxiety on behalf of loved ones: Isabel's brother, Arnold, enlists in the Army Air Force, and silence from her best friend Sibby's father could mean damage--or worse--to his ship. Isabel also becomes aware of Hitler's horrors through her growing friendship with Helga, the niece of dear family friends, who had fled Germany via the Kindertransport to England. Readers witness Isabel's transformation from a normal, self-concerned pre-adolescent to an increasingly compassionate and thoughtful friend. Perl (Four Perfect Pebbles) does not shy away from the hard-hitting facts of Helga's experiences, which she gradually confides to Isabel. But the author also balances these sobering situations with the rewards of blossoming romance for Helga, and the humor and timeless questions behind Isabel's first exposure to boy-girl exchanges.
Isabel is a narrator with whom every reader can sympathize. And Perl connects her character flaws with Isabel's ultimate heroism in tracking down Helga, who has an ongoing desire to run away. Readers will look forward to learning more about Isabel, Sibby and their new German friend, and hope for a safe homecoming for their beloved soldiers in the forthcoming sequel, Lilli's Quest. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness