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. Starred Review. Grade 4–8—In Davy Bowman's Illinois neighborhood, life is friendly and happy, with time for boisterous hide-and-seek games and stories on the porch. As he explains, "Nobody was a stranger….Everybody played. Dogs too, yapping at our heels….They ran wild like the rest of us." But that is before World War II, which sends the narrator's older brother into the army, makes his dad somber, brings his troublesome grandparents into town, sends his mother to work, and changes everything. Peck's masterful, detail-rich prose describes wartime in the United States, where coffee and sugar are rationed; rubber, metal, and even milkweed fluff are collected for the war effort; and sacrifices are made by everyone. Peck's characters are memorable. A classmate's mom comes to school to terrorize her daughter's timid teacher: "A giant figure appeared at the classroom door. We hadn't seen a woman this big since Mrs. Meece came for her girdle." Each episodic chapter about Davy, his family, and his neighbors fits seamlessly into the emerging story. Readers will cheer for these folks, and be submerged into the homefront world of people who: "Use it up, wear it out,/Make it do or do without." This book is an absolute delight.— Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No one does nostalgia better than Peck, and this episodic story of a boy's life on the home front just before and during World War II is a charmer. Protagonist Davy Bowman has two heroes: his dad, who runs the local service station; and his older brother, who is an Army Air Force cadet. Davy's life is filled with the small-town stuff of bygone days--ration books, scrap drives, Civil Defense drills--and abundant, affectionate references to songs, vintage cars, and even ladies' undergarments help to evoke the sights and sounds of a time very different from today. That said, there's also much that Peck's fans will recognize, including feisty old folks, Halloween high jinks, young teachers who can't cut the mustard, and classroom bullies. Yes, some scenes seem a bit sketchier than usual, and some jokes a bit wheezy, but the pages are still filled with gentle humor and wonderful turns of phrase. All in all, there remains no more genial guide for a trip down memory lane than the redoubtable Peck. Michael Cart Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Poignant." —Publishers Weekly, starred review “Pecks skill at characterization is unsurpassed.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “No one does nostalgia better than Peck, and this episodic story of a boy’s life on the home front just before and during World War II is a charmer.” —Booklist Richard Peck has written more than thirty novels, and in the process has become one of the country’s most highly respected writers for children. In fact The Washington Post called him “America’s best living author for young adults.” A versatile writer, he is beloved by middle-graders as well as young adults for his historical and contemporary comedies and coming-of-age novels. He lives in New York City, and spends a great deal of time traveling around the country to speaking engagements at conferences, schools, and libraries. Mr. Peck is the first children’s book author to have received a National Humanities Medal. He is a Newbery Medal winner (for A Year Down Yonder ), a Newbery Honor winner (for A Long Way from Chicago ), a two-time National Book Award finalist, and a two-time Edgar Award winner. In addition, he has won a number of major honors for the body of his work, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the Medallion from the University of Southern Mississippi.                   Only Fifteen Shopping Days... ...were left till that Christmas of 1941. Crowds bustled. Shelves cleared. The window of the Curio Shop on East Prairie Avenue was heaped high with broken dishes, torn fans, ripped up paper lanterns. They'd wrecked all their Made-in-Japan merchandise and made a display of it that drew a crowd. Scooter and I looked, but it was something in the wi