Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Though this story of loss is set in the 1940s, its message is timeless. . . . The retrospective narrative lends Molly's sorrow distance without diluting its significance; it also allows her to commend the wisdom of such remembrance." --Horn Book Horn Book
"This elegant book speaks to the far-reaching effects of war and the healing power of memory." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A young girl's neighbor must go off to war as the United States begins to get involved in World War II. Though life goes on at Beechwood Elementary, and at her home on Orchard Street, her thoughts remain with the brave young man serving his country halfway across the world.
Synopsis
When the United States enters World War II, Molly is attending Beechwood Elementary. But her thoughts are with Ted Walker, her neighbor, who is serving aboard a cruiser in the South Atlantic.
Three years later, the war is still going on and Molly is in the fourth grade. Ted is still at sea, as a naval officer of the USS Albacore, a submarine in the Pacific Ocean. Orchard Road feels like the safest place on earth, but somewhere on the other side of the world, Ted and his crew are carrying out dangerous missions. No one knows when they will come home, and young Molly must find a way to live with fear during wartime.
About the Author
Matt Tavares is the author-illustrator of Zacharys Ball, Olivers Game, Mudball, and Henry Aarons Dream, and the illustrator of Over the River and Through the Wood,Twas the Night Before Christmas: Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup, and Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.