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ashleyalexander's review
5.0
Great life lessons and character growth. Perfect for young or old readers.
dmn5678's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
timna_wyckoff's review
4.0
Read for mother-daughter book club. Intense, but age-appropriate (late elementary) in my opinion. Major topic is pros/cons of military service (young girls help an army deserter during WWII). Secondary story is about socioeconomic class differences and domestic violence.
zbookandtea's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book a lot! It was really good and it is very suspenseful!
eacolgan's review against another edition
5.0
i went through a period in elementary school where i read anything i could lay hands on set during world war two. this was one i read again and again and again, to the point where i could probably have quoted passages of it. talk about a book that's a window on an era; this one brings the reader right into the mind of a young girl living through 'the war at home' so to speak. with several overlaying plot threads that eventually all tie together, -stepping on the cracks- is a book anyone could- and in my opinion should- read.
oregon_small_fry's review against another edition
4.0
This was read outloud to me in 6th grade. Man, I hated that.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Margaret and her best friend Elizabeth both have brothers fighting the war against Hitler and, like everyone else they know, they are filled with feelings of patriotism. But the girls are also involved in their own personal war at home. Gordy Smith, the worst bully in sixth grade, teases and torments them, and Margaret is scared to death of him. But when Gordy and his pals Toad and Doug grow bolder than ever, Margaret and Elizabeth come up with a daring plan to get even. That's when the girls discover a shocking secret about Gordy that turns their lives upside-down and draws them into a startling confrontation with family, friends...and their own strongly held ideas." (From Amazon)
I really enjoyed this novel. Downing Hahn can write historical, contemporary, suspense and romance for preteens and teens - and she does it so well.
"Margaret and her best friend Elizabeth both have brothers fighting the war against Hitler and, like everyone else they know, they are filled with feelings of patriotism. But the girls are also involved in their own personal war at home. Gordy Smith, the worst bully in sixth grade, teases and torments them, and Margaret is scared to death of him. But when Gordy and his pals Toad and Doug grow bolder than ever, Margaret and Elizabeth come up with a daring plan to get even. That's when the girls discover a shocking secret about Gordy that turns their lives upside-down and draws them into a startling confrontation with family, friends...and their own strongly held ideas." (From Amazon)
I really enjoyed this novel. Downing Hahn can write historical, contemporary, suspense and romance for preteens and teens - and she does it so well.
amb0517's review against another edition
5.0
This was one of my favorite childhood books. I decided to revisit it. I still love it 25 years later. This book stands the test of time.