by Teresa Funke
review
The No-No Boys
Second in the Home-Front Heroes Series for children ages 9 and up
Based on a true story…. Fourteen-year-old Tai Shimoda’s family has lost everything. Like many other Japanese-Americans at the start of World War II, Tai’s family has been forced to leave their home and move to Tule Lake Relocation Center in Northern California. Though he misses his friends back home, Tai does his best to start a new life behind the barbed wire of camp. But in the spring of 1943, tensions at Tule Lake are growing. Tai’s older brother has joined a group that has refused to swear allegiance to the United States. They call themselves the No-Nos. Tai’s father calls them Disloyals. When the camp begins to split in two, Tai must decide what he believes. Will he join his beloved brother and the No-Nos or, like his father, remain true to America? Readers, don't miss the last few pages to learn more about the real the real Tai Shimoda.
V For Victory
Third in the Home-Front Heroes Series for children ages 9 and up
Based on a true story in the summer of 1943… Twelve-year-old Miguel Montoya feels left behind. Everyone else in his large family is “doing his part” during World War II. His brother is flying dangerous missions over enemy territory, and his sister and aunt are home-front volunteers. Miguel offers to take their places in the family grocery store, only to be told he’s not old enough to do anything more than sweep floors and keep an eye on his bothersome little nephew, Victor. So when the Empire Theatre announces a scrap metal contest to help the war effort, Miguel decides to win! As he and his best friend, Gary, scour their San Antonio neighborhood for old scrap, they keep one eye on the military planes that fill the skies and one eye out for bullies threatening to steal their stash. When Miguel befriends a wounded soldier, though, the realities of war hit home. And on the fateful day when his family needs him most, it is Miguel who must do his part to save his nephew. Readers, don’t miss the last few pages to learn more about the real Miguel Montoya.
Wave Me Good-Bye
Fourth in the Home-Front Heroes Series for children ages 9 and up
Based on a true story… As the only Jewish girl in her New York neighborhood, thirteen-year-old Miriam Liebler has a lot on her mind. World War II is raging, and her brother will soon pack his bags to join the fight. Blackouts and air-raid drills punctuate her daily life. Worse yet, her family has heard nothing from their Jewish relatives in Europe since before the war started, and Miriam fears the worst. Her friends don’t understand her worries—until she meets Christopher Richards, and orphaned English boy whisked to America to escape the deadly bombings of London. Miriam and Chris exchange candy, comic books, and secrets through the iron bars of the orphanage fence.
When Miriam’s mother takes in a German-Jewish refugee and her daughter, Miriam becomes entangled in the woman’s desperate search to find her family. Will her friendship with Chris survive when trouble brews? Readers, don’t miss the last few pages to learn more about the real Miriam Liebler.