Genevieve's War

Genevieve's War by Patricia Reilly Giff, 222 pages

Genevieve has been staying with her grandmother in France the summer before World War II.  Although she is supposed to return to the United States, she decides to stay instead and becomes embroiled in the war, including hiding a member of the resistance in their attic, while a German Nazi is staying with them.  This was a very good story for kids about this experience.  Kids who like historical and realistic fiction will enjoy it.

Every Day After

Every Day After by Laura Golden, 216 pages

This is a short, sweet little story about a little girl growing up during the Great Depression.  Lizzie’s father has been gone a month.  He left after he lost his job.  Lizzie is convinced that he is looking for work and they will hear from him any day but since he left her mother has withdrawn into herself and doesn’t speak or move, unless Lizzie moves her.  Lizzie has been doing all of the housework and the mending that her mother had been taking in to earn some money.  Unfortunately, this means that Lizzie hasn’t been able to spend as much time on schoolwork and her grades have begun to slip.  Erin, her rival, is thrilled that she may come in first instead of Lizzie and mocks Lizzie about it every chance she gets.  She also threatens to tell that Lizzie’s mom isn’t well because then her mom may go into an institution and Lizzie into an orphanage.  Then, a foreclosure notice comes from the bank.  Even though Lizzie is only 11, she is determined to hold things together until her father returns.  Even kids who don’t usually like historical fiction might like this book because Lizzie is such a likable, determined person.