Rosemary Zibart

WWII book of an English refugee living in Santa Fe. She's from a posh family and in a previous book apparently she had to learn to be independent like an American. In this one, she deals with her friendships with a variety of kids, her crush on one of them, and the shocks of America's entry into the war and the town's distrust of the Japanese internees that are brought into a nearby camp. It's lightly written from the 13 year old girl's perspective and an interesting view of the war.

As a kid, I loved WWII stories about children all over the world -- this one would have been right up my alley, with the twists of the English girl living in Santa Fe, seeing the US entry into the war, helping with the dog recruitment, and seeing a Japanese internment camp built and occupied.… (mere)

Fleeing the war, Beatrice, a young England girl, is living with Clem, a nurse in Santa Fe. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, Clem makes arrangements to travel to across the country to train other nurses. Beatrice, moves in with her best friend. Nearby, a Japanese Internment Camp is being built.

Although I found this book to be slow moving, I believe it will be very appealing to pre-teen or middle school age girls. Beatrice was a dynamic character, one I believe many will relate to. Although the book is fiction, I believe it can be an educational tool, to show what life was like during WWII, and to address the internment camps in the U.S. Overall, well worth picking up.… (mere)