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On the Wings of Heroes
Davy Bowman's brother and their dad hung the moon. Dad looks forward to Halloween more than a kid, and Davy's brother, Bill, flies B-17s. Davy adores these two heroes and tries his best to follow their lead, especially now. World War II has invaded Davy's homefront boyhood. There's an air raid drill in the classroom, and being a kid is an endless scrap drive. Bill has joined up, breaking their dad's heart. It's an intense, confusing time, and one that will invite Davy to grow up in a hurry.
Still, Richard Peck is a master of comedy, and even in this novel of wartime uncertainty, he infuses his tale with humor: oddballs and rascals and boyhood misadventures alongside the poignant moments. This is one of Richard Peck's very finest novels -- a tender, unforgettable portrait of the World War II homefront and a family's love.
Still, Richard Peck is a master of comedy, and even in this novel of wartime uncertainty, he infuses his tale with humor: oddballs and rascals and boyhood misadventures alongside the poignant moments. This is one of Richard Peck's very finest novels -- a tender, unforgettable portrait of the World War II homefront and a family's love.
148 pages, Hardcover
First published February 15, 2007
22 people are currently reading
703 people want to read
About the author
Richard Peck
112 books730 followersRichard Peck was an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder. For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature, he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
March 17, 2023
"Earl, you tell me what this war's for when you find out," he said to Dad. "You tell me what the last one was for." The fire in his old eyes flared, but his head drooped. I could see in the dark now.
Dad put his hand out on Mr. Stonecypher's sloping shoulder. He kept it there, and Mr. Stonecypher put his face in his old hands. There was a bad, shaky sound like a sob. (PG 62)
I have loved all of Richard Peck's novels and have Googled the man. This was my least favorite of his novels so far. Another WWII novel; I seem to be running a theme here, unintentionally. Our main character and narrator is Davy Bowman and his best friend Scooter. His neighborhood and family are all involved in the war effort collecting paper, metals, rubber, anything to help America beat those Nazis. While the story has its funny moments, in the background is the sense of death and limbo looming over everyone. Some of the residents are still fresh in memory of their losses in WWI and despise this second war. Davy and his parents worry about his brother, Bill, flying B-17s over the enemy.
While I found some of the characters to be funny oddballs, I couldn't connect with any of them as I have in previous novels. It was written in a disoriented way but it wasn't the worst either.
Dad put his hand out on Mr. Stonecypher's sloping shoulder. He kept it there, and Mr. Stonecypher put his face in his old hands. There was a bad, shaky sound like a sob. (PG 62)
I have loved all of Richard Peck's novels and have Googled the man. This was my least favorite of his novels so far. Another WWII novel; I seem to be running a theme here, unintentionally. Our main character and narrator is Davy Bowman and his best friend Scooter. His neighborhood and family are all involved in the war effort collecting paper, metals, rubber, anything to help America beat those Nazis. While the story has its funny moments, in the background is the sense of death and limbo looming over everyone. Some of the residents are still fresh in memory of their losses in WWI and despise this second war. Davy and his parents worry about his brother, Bill, flying B-17s over the enemy.
While I found some of the characters to be funny oddballs, I couldn't connect with any of them as I have in previous novels. It was written in a disoriented way but it wasn't the worst either.
August 13, 2009
Richard Peck never disappoints. He may well be my favorite author. His books are always full of heart-warming, side-splitting, illuminating, and page-turning details. I. LOVE. HIM. Okay, maybe not HIM, but his writing, for sure.
I read this book in two days. Before you think I've shirked my motherly duties, let me say this: the book was a mere 148 pages. Easy to read half of the book after the chitlins have gone to bed. Especially when the read was such a good one.
Davy is enamoured with his two heroes: his father and his brother, Bill. His father served in WWI and his brother, Bill, is flying bombers in WWII. Davy is still in grammar school, and is doing all he can to help with the war effort at home.
I fell in love with his family. His dad was the big kid on the block and his mom catered to every need of her family. Bill and Davy, although several years apart in age, were so close.
I love how Peck recreates history. When you read one of his books, you feel as if you're actually there, living it with the characters of the novels. I learned so much about life on the homefront during the war ("the duration"). There are so many things I gleaned from it that I couldn't retain from reading a textbook. Besides, the book was much more entertaining anyway.
Additionally, he makes it FUN! I literally laughed out loud in several parts of the book, my favorite laughable character being Miss Titus (Peck describes her as being "a dried-up woman with a face like a walnut...[she:] was small and stringy, though of course she could blow you away...Miss Titus was the oldest woman in the United States (and she had a mama?)...[she:] looked like a walnut with a mustache.")
Just another feel-good and hysterical novel from Richard Peck. If you've not read his work, start with A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. You'll read them in two nights for two reasons: they're short and they're GOOD! Then just go from there. You'll be a fan from the get go.
I read this book in two days. Before you think I've shirked my motherly duties, let me say this: the book was a mere 148 pages. Easy to read half of the book after the chitlins have gone to bed. Especially when the read was such a good one.
Davy is enamoured with his two heroes: his father and his brother, Bill. His father served in WWI and his brother, Bill, is flying bombers in WWII. Davy is still in grammar school, and is doing all he can to help with the war effort at home.
I fell in love with his family. His dad was the big kid on the block and his mom catered to every need of her family. Bill and Davy, although several years apart in age, were so close.
I love how Peck recreates history. When you read one of his books, you feel as if you're actually there, living it with the characters of the novels. I learned so much about life on the homefront during the war ("the duration"). There are so many things I gleaned from it that I couldn't retain from reading a textbook. Besides, the book was much more entertaining anyway.
Additionally, he makes it FUN! I literally laughed out loud in several parts of the book, my favorite laughable character being Miss Titus (Peck describes her as being "a dried-up woman with a face like a walnut...[she:] was small and stringy, though of course she could blow you away...Miss Titus was the oldest woman in the United States (and she had a mama?)...[she:] looked like a walnut with a mustache.")
Just another feel-good and hysterical novel from Richard Peck. If you've not read his work, start with A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. You'll read them in two nights for two reasons: they're short and they're GOOD! Then just go from there. You'll be a fan from the get go.
June 29, 2021
I’m not sure what led me to pick this up. It’s not one of Peck’s best - it’s scattered and doesn’t take the time to build to any real emotional impact.
It does have its moments, but overall, ehhh. There are better WWII books out there.
It does have its moments, but overall, ehhh. There are better WWII books out there.
November 27, 2024
One of the most self-restrained authors I’ve read brings his attention to World War II in this novel about the effect war has on nations, communities, and family. Davy Bowman is a few years away from middle school when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in 1941. His idyllic existence—having little domestic adventures with Dad, evenings spent playing hide and seek on his hometown street—is placed on hold as the U.S. hunkers down for a war with Germany, Italy, and Japan that may go on for years. Davy's nineteen-year-old brother Bill is training to pilot a B-17 military airplane, and the neighborhood regards him as a hero, but the Bowmans would prefer the war end before Bill ships out to Europe.
Life at home proceeds the same. Davy's class in school causes trouble for Miss Landis, most of it spearheaded by Beverly C., a brawny girl who bullies the teacher. The students vaguely hope their schooling might be suspended if Miss Landis resigns, but there always seems to be one more teacher willing to fill the vacancy. Davy has his own problems with Beverly, who threatens to beat him up, but he and his best friend Scooter Tomlinson evade calamity.
What to do, when there's a war on? Davy and Scooter comb the neighborhood for scrap rubber and metal to donate to the military. Bill returns home now and then between training sessions, and Davy is awed by the reverence people show his brother. Even Beverly doesn't dare disrespect him. Seasons come and go as Davy adjusts to small-town life during war, but a big change arrives when his maternal grandparents move in. Grandma Riddle drives Mom crazy enough that Mom signs up for a job to avoid spending days in the same house, but the family is shaken to its core when a telegram informs them Bill's plane is missing in action following a mission over Stuttgart, Germany. Did Bill lose his life fighting for freedom thousands of miles from home? The family waits on pins and needles for the verdict that will change everything.
Ordinary people are beautiful. People like Davy and Bill's father, Earl Bowman, who sacrificed his healthy body in World War I so his son could grow up in peace and happiness. Was Dad's trauma for nought, now that Bill might be gone? Davy's two heroes, his brother and dad, struggle against evils he can't begin to understand, enemies that might take them both down before his horrified eyes. Defeating the Central Powers in World War I didn't save mankind, but Davy needs his dad to win the war inside himself now so he can still be Dad, the rock Davy anchors against in a stormy world. Your battle is never over as long as people depend on you; your purpose extends beyond the inner struggle, and is more rewarding than living for your own sake. If Dad and Bill escape out the other side of this ordeal, Davy will know he was right to think of them as heroes, flying high forever.
This may be the finest novel of Richard Peck's distinguished career. Sometimes he is too subtle and doesn't go for the big, emotionally memorable moment, but he fully pays that debt in On the Wings of Heroes. The end chapters had me with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, feeling the weight of real life in all its uncertainty and glory. Heroes are a tricky business, and this book captures that with rare grace. I might rate it the full three stars, and if ever I doubted Richard Peck could create an extraordinary story, those doubts are laid to rest. I wish he were still alive so I could thank him.
Life at home proceeds the same. Davy's class in school causes trouble for Miss Landis, most of it spearheaded by Beverly C., a brawny girl who bullies the teacher. The students vaguely hope their schooling might be suspended if Miss Landis resigns, but there always seems to be one more teacher willing to fill the vacancy. Davy has his own problems with Beverly, who threatens to beat him up, but he and his best friend Scooter Tomlinson evade calamity.
What to do, when there's a war on? Davy and Scooter comb the neighborhood for scrap rubber and metal to donate to the military. Bill returns home now and then between training sessions, and Davy is awed by the reverence people show his brother. Even Beverly doesn't dare disrespect him. Seasons come and go as Davy adjusts to small-town life during war, but a big change arrives when his maternal grandparents move in. Grandma Riddle drives Mom crazy enough that Mom signs up for a job to avoid spending days in the same house, but the family is shaken to its core when a telegram informs them Bill's plane is missing in action following a mission over Stuttgart, Germany. Did Bill lose his life fighting for freedom thousands of miles from home? The family waits on pins and needles for the verdict that will change everything.
Ordinary people are beautiful. People like Davy and Bill's father, Earl Bowman, who sacrificed his healthy body in World War I so his son could grow up in peace and happiness. Was Dad's trauma for nought, now that Bill might be gone? Davy's two heroes, his brother and dad, struggle against evils he can't begin to understand, enemies that might take them both down before his horrified eyes. Defeating the Central Powers in World War I didn't save mankind, but Davy needs his dad to win the war inside himself now so he can still be Dad, the rock Davy anchors against in a stormy world. Your battle is never over as long as people depend on you; your purpose extends beyond the inner struggle, and is more rewarding than living for your own sake. If Dad and Bill escape out the other side of this ordeal, Davy will know he was right to think of them as heroes, flying high forever.
This may be the finest novel of Richard Peck's distinguished career. Sometimes he is too subtle and doesn't go for the big, emotionally memorable moment, but he fully pays that debt in On the Wings of Heroes. The end chapters had me with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, feeling the weight of real life in all its uncertainty and glory. Heroes are a tricky business, and this book captures that with rare grace. I might rate it the full three stars, and if ever I doubted Richard Peck could create an extraordinary story, those doubts are laid to rest. I wish he were still alive so I could thank him.
June 14, 2011
This was sucha "feel good" story. It was informative about what
the families back home went through, and at the same time,
I felt like I was almost reading about my own youth,
growing up in a small town, and playing games with
not only the neighbors but my Dad. Good values, and
the fun of a Father who loved to play pranks and teach good values
to others!
the families back home went through, and at the same time,
I felt like I was almost reading about my own youth,
growing up in a small town, and playing games with
not only the neighbors but my Dad. Good values, and
the fun of a Father who loved to play pranks and teach good values
to others!
June 18, 2024
I thought this was just great. A friendly reminder of how important it is to read books with humor in them from time to time. I was laughing out loud several times.
I think my boys will really enjoy this. Can’t wait to pass it on.
Would be enjoyable as a read aloud in the future.
I think my boys will really enjoy this. Can’t wait to pass it on.
Would be enjoyable as a read aloud in the future.
July 13, 2016
A great book. Sweet and poignant. It shows a slice of wartime life on the homefront better than any history text I've read.
May 30, 2020
boy did this ever hurt my feelings. not quite to the extent of a year down yonder, but Pretty Darn Close.
June 11, 2020
3 Stars.
Audible.
Audible.
June 9, 2022
Richard Peck tells the best stories! His books are always delightful to read. This book was a perfect complement to my middle grader’s WWII studies because it is a story about how the war affected American families back home, particularly kids on the verge of growing up. It held our attention, made us laugh, and we enjoyed every minute of it. Highly recommend.
August 6, 2023
Richard Peck is a national treasure. This book is set is a difficult time period but is full of love and humor. So very good!
June 3, 2010
Davy Bowman remembers, "Nobody was a stranger before the war."
The Illinois neighborhood rang with the sounds of children playing hide-and-seek, of neighbors sharing stories on their front porch, and of laughter from the delights of successful Halloween antics. Davy Bowman's world is happy and safe because of his heroes, his Dad and his older brother Bill, who always seemed to find time to do things with Davy.
Pearl Harbor is bombed and Davy's world changes. His Dad becomes the local air raid warden and Bill goes off to become a B-17 bombardier, flying missions over Germany. There are air raid drills and endless scrap drives. New kids enroll in Davy's school, "eight-to-five orphans," whose mothers work at the local war plants. Everything is rationed, but the whole community pitches in to do their part for the war effort.
Davy still has his heroes to depend upon but soon he begins to discover that in his neighborhood there are other heroes and during the next few years he learns what sacrifice and courage really means.
In "On the Wings of Heroes," Newberry Medal-winning author Richard Peck's easy-going pace and sly humor captures the sense of community in Middle America before and during World War II. Reading it stirred up millions of memories of my own childhood neighbors and escapades and also helped me to gain a deeper understanding of what my parents and older siblings had to endure during the war.
It is an outstanding example of well written historical fiction that captures the heart and soul of families during war times, not only the wars of the past, but also the wars of the present. I highly recommend this book as a useful tool for teachers and counselors. I sincerely hope that grandparents and grandchildren, fathers and sons will also share this book. It is the beginning of discussion, of understanding, and perhaps even healing.
The Illinois neighborhood rang with the sounds of children playing hide-and-seek, of neighbors sharing stories on their front porch, and of laughter from the delights of successful Halloween antics. Davy Bowman's world is happy and safe because of his heroes, his Dad and his older brother Bill, who always seemed to find time to do things with Davy.
Pearl Harbor is bombed and Davy's world changes. His Dad becomes the local air raid warden and Bill goes off to become a B-17 bombardier, flying missions over Germany. There are air raid drills and endless scrap drives. New kids enroll in Davy's school, "eight-to-five orphans," whose mothers work at the local war plants. Everything is rationed, but the whole community pitches in to do their part for the war effort.
Davy still has his heroes to depend upon but soon he begins to discover that in his neighborhood there are other heroes and during the next few years he learns what sacrifice and courage really means.
In "On the Wings of Heroes," Newberry Medal-winning author Richard Peck's easy-going pace and sly humor captures the sense of community in Middle America before and during World War II. Reading it stirred up millions of memories of my own childhood neighbors and escapades and also helped me to gain a deeper understanding of what my parents and older siblings had to endure during the war.
It is an outstanding example of well written historical fiction that captures the heart and soul of families during war times, not only the wars of the past, but also the wars of the present. I highly recommend this book as a useful tool for teachers and counselors. I sincerely hope that grandparents and grandchildren, fathers and sons will also share this book. It is the beginning of discussion, of understanding, and perhaps even healing.
January 19, 2020
Richard Peck is an amazing writer. Despite how short his novels are, he fleshes out interesting characters and hints at whole other stories attached to them. His historical detail is accurate, interesting, and often funny. This book is no exception. It takes place just before and during WWII in a small town. The main character is 11-13 and the story is told from his perspective. He gathers newspapers and metal for the war effort, learns to identify planes, and notices how the town becomes a place of only the young and the old as all the draft-age men leave and the women go to work in factories. Woven in are also details of life at that age: teachers, bullies, family issues. But what really shines through is the depiction of the main character's father, based on Peck's own father, a WWI veteran with a zest for life but also hidden sorrows and worry about his older son, in the Air Force.
Peck never panders to young adults and while he doesn't go into detail about depressing or tragic events, he doesn't leave them out either. I thoroughly enjoyed this tender and funny story and Peck even managed to surprise me with some details about WWII that were new to me even though I've heard and read a lot about the era.
Update: listened to this as an audio book with my teen in 2019, ten years after I write this review. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but ten years on, I’m more sensitive to the way he portrays women and how much he uses their appearance to define their character. Also, there are definitely no people of color in his world.
Peck never panders to young adults and while he doesn't go into detail about depressing or tragic events, he doesn't leave them out either. I thoroughly enjoyed this tender and funny story and Peck even managed to surprise me with some details about WWII that were new to me even though I've heard and read a lot about the era.
Update: listened to this as an audio book with my teen in 2019, ten years after I write this review. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but ten years on, I’m more sensitive to the way he portrays women and how much he uses their appearance to define their character. Also, there are definitely no people of color in his world.
February 21, 2012
On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck was trying much too hard at the start, and as a result, had a decidedly To Kill a Mockingbird vibe, complete with adult themes recounted from a child’s perspective, the overwhelmed teacher, and upstanding father. It found its own voice eventually (and it’s a short YA novel), and became the story of young Davy Bowman, his family, friends, and all those on the homefront in his town for the duration as Davy’s brother, Bill, goes off to fight in the war, training to fly missions in a B-17 Flying Fortress, which is a cramped, heavy bomber aircraft, and I have personally walked through and explored one of them on several occasions.
The brightest point throughout was Scooter’s extensive knowledge of scrap metal, paper, and rubber equivalents to ammunition and plane parts. I also liked Miss Titus, just because. And the way Davy’s dad dealt with the demons of “his war” was well-done, as it was informed with Peck’s personal experience.
If nothing else, this is a good historical fiction selection for 5th-6th grade boys to learn what boys their age did during WWII.
The brightest point throughout was Scooter’s extensive knowledge of scrap metal, paper, and rubber equivalents to ammunition and plane parts. I also liked Miss Titus, just because. And the way Davy’s dad dealt with the demons of “his war” was well-done, as it was informed with Peck’s personal experience.
If nothing else, this is a good historical fiction selection for 5th-6th grade boys to learn what boys their age did during WWII.
December 10, 2007
I don't read a lot of Richard Peck books and I'm not a big historical fiction person. But I really liked this book. Davy Bowman is growing up during WWII with a father who was a soldier in WWI and won't talk about his experience at all and a brother who is learning to fly planes. Each short chapter talks about Davy's life as he wishes for a Schwinn bike, collects various products for the war effort, gets into scraps as he adventures out with his best friend, and hopes that his brother will give him his letter jacket. There are worries that come with the war, one of them occuring later in the book when Davy's brother finishes his training and is sent to Europe. Overall a good book and one that teachers could use to help kids understand what life was like in the United States on the homefront during WWII.
October 7, 2009
This is my first Richard Peck book and I'm definitely looking for more! A wonderfully written coming-of-age story it starts when Davy is 10 or 11 before WWII and ends at the end of the war. It had the same general feel to me as To Kill a Mockingbird-- the child narrator with larger adult issues, neighbor characters, small town feeling, and strong father figure. I loved the characters and got goosebumps at the end. There are so many WWII books for YA out there but I feel like I now have a better idea of what it was like to grow up during that era and this book is the only one I can think of that connected the WWI his father fought in to the WWII his brother was in. A great book I will read to my kids!
March 7, 2016
Richard Peck grabs the reader on page one and draws him into the life of the main character during the second world war. Never sentimental or idealized, but honest and optimistic. Funny, subtle, vivid, heart-warming. Full of history, yet never didactic. Wings of Heroes is a masterfully written snapshot of one American community's transformation from the homefront in 1941 & 1942.
September 17, 2007
What a writer Peck is. Here's another terrific tale, this one about WWII as seen through a boy's eyes. Peck evokes the time with great sensitivity and some humor while managing to communicate some fierce truths about war and love and parenting. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2016
Richard Peck has become one of my favorite authors and this book is just a sweet taste of a small town boy during WWII.
This would be a great novel for my grandsons, ages 11 and 12. And, this would be a good audio book to listen to on a family road trip.
This would be a great novel for my grandsons, ages 11 and 12. And, this would be a good audio book to listen to on a family road trip.
February 20, 2019
Richard Peck has my high esteem and gratitude. He is one of those rare authors who writes insightful, touching, humorous stories for middle graders. Anyone grows by reading his work. This is a special book.
May 27, 2011
If I could write one book like this man, I could die happy. I love him.
December 21, 2012
This is such a sweet, yet heartbreaking story about all the young heroes of World War II, both on the front and back home in all the little towns across America.
December 24, 2021
5/5 read in middle school
September 2, 2024
This book is about a boy, Davy, and his heroes: his dad and his older brother. The book begins before World War 2 and shows how life was different in the "duration" of the war, from elementary school through 7th grade. His brother, Bill, was a fighter pilot and went away to war and his dad had been a soldier during World War 1, the previous war.
The reason I rated this book low is that I didn't like the tone throughout the book, where it describes people and places in a very unflattering way. Aside from his heroes, he's rather insulting of everyone else. His own grandma, the school bully, the bully's mom, his school teachers, and other people in the community are described in negative ways. Some characters are described as fat, but he has to elaborate on that in an exaggerated manner: e.g. wouldn't be able to fit in a room and he has to point out the mustache on his female teacher. The sensationalized rude descriptions were also used to belittle places and things, like describing a run down old car by saying that generations of animals had been nesting in it. After destroying a character's character in this way, he tries to redeem some of them to make them less weird or scary by learning more about them, or to negate those prior descriptions, but it would have been better not to have belittled in the first place.
The reason I rated this book low is that I didn't like the tone throughout the book, where it describes people and places in a very unflattering way. Aside from his heroes, he's rather insulting of everyone else. His own grandma, the school bully, the bully's mom, his school teachers, and other people in the community are described in negative ways. Some characters are described as fat, but he has to elaborate on that in an exaggerated manner: e.g. wouldn't be able to fit in a room and he has to point out the mustache on his female teacher. The sensationalized rude descriptions were also used to belittle places and things, like describing a run down old car by saying that generations of animals had been nesting in it. After destroying a character's character in this way, he tries to redeem some of them to make them less weird or scary by learning more about them, or to negate those prior descriptions, but it would have been better not to have belittled in the first place.
September 8, 2017
Peck is the master of the adolescent mind and allowing the reader to peer into it. Like his other books, the main character is young. The story speaks about his hopes and fears. The random daily adventures make for a marvelous page turner. This books is a quick read, and a great way to distract or ponder something outside of yourself. The setting is just before and during WWII.
After some thought I have lowered my rating for one main reason. In his attempt at trying to show the dark side of some people, he has also decided to take upon his considerable talents of story-telling to take a stance against the BSA, and the military in general. I am not sure I understand the author's rational, but I find that several days after reading the story, the whimsical nature of it is lost to the dark trappings and negative view of these organizations.
Peck is an amazing author, and the first of his books I read "Far and away from Chicago" I think is outstanding, even though it broaches similar topics. Thinking of the two books, I believe something has changed in the author's view. Unfortunately I do not align with his newer philosophy.
After some thought I have lowered my rating for one main reason. In his attempt at trying to show the dark side of some people, he has also decided to take upon his considerable talents of story-telling to take a stance against the BSA, and the military in general. I am not sure I understand the author's rational, but I find that several days after reading the story, the whimsical nature of it is lost to the dark trappings and negative view of these organizations.
Peck is an amazing author, and the first of his books I read "Far and away from Chicago" I think is outstanding, even though it broaches similar topics. Thinking of the two books, I believe something has changed in the author's view. Unfortunately I do not align with his newer philosophy.
September 4, 2020
This is a wonderful story of life on the American homefront during WWII. It is a serious story but told with the trademark Peck warmth, assorted local oddballs (including his father, the town's biggest kid), and humor--like the town holding a parade of junkers decorated as floats being hauled to the scrapyard, to celebrate the rust, white, and blue. The retired teacher/terrorist Miss Titus, brought back to work because of the teacher shortage is a worthy compeer to Grandma Dowdel of the "Down Yonder" series and had the two feisty old superheroines lived in the same town, they would probably have been BFFs. I have no idea why Peck's books aren't as widely read as Michael Murpurgo's. I love both YA authors but Peck's books are definitely the better choice.
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January 13, 2022Honestly, this is my favorite wartime novel. It doesn't shy away from conveying the hardships of war. Told from the eyes of a teen, it features none of the gruesome battle; but endless amounts of the political tension associated, the difficulties at home and the emotional beats. The story always goes on, life goes on. The war almost seems like a sub-plot at times; perhaps that is what makes it such an immersive story.
Every character adds to the story and is fleshed out in a meaningful and believable way. From the core family members, to the friends and even the angry old man down the road, the story conveys that they exist beyond it.
Every character adds to the story and is fleshed out in a meaningful and believable way. From the core family members, to the friends and even the angry old man down the road, the story conveys that they exist beyond it.
April 10, 2018
Richard Peck is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I was as delighted by this book as I was with the rest. It's a story of a young boy growing up during World War II. As the war is raging abroad, there are local battles taking place right in his home town. At school, in his family, with bullies, at his dad's work--everyone seems to be fighting something. This story was touching and funny. It was good entertainment but also taught important lessons. I would highly recommend this book to any young adult, especially those interested in history.
June 25, 2019
Audiobook. Richard Peck's juvenile historic fiction is always great. Lots of great detail and well-drawn characters. This one takes place during WWII, and the "Hero" is the older brother of the main character, Davy. But a lot of the story revolves around Davy and his father,also a hero, who survived WWI with physical and emotional scars but retains a sense of fun. Quirky humor and touching moments are there. I was just surprised when it was over, thinking there should have been more to it. That's what I get for listening without checking to see when I'm near the end.
June 25, 2019
I love Richard Peck and was surprised when I discovered this on the audiobook shelf at our public library, since I'd never heard of it. It's a good book, but definitely has a different flair than Peck's other books--a little more serious, less humor (though there is some).
The book is told from the perspective of Davy, an almost teen whose older brother has joined the military to do his duty during WWII. The story examines the pressures and the insulation of living on the homefront during the war years.
My ten-year-old son and I both enjoyed the book.
The book is told from the perspective of Davy, an almost teen whose older brother has joined the military to do his duty during WWII. The story examines the pressures and the insulation of living on the homefront during the war years.
My ten-year-old son and I both enjoyed the book.
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