Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Children of the World War II Home Front
Nonfiction
For ages 7 to 9
Lerner, 2001 ISBN: 978-1575054841
When Pearl Harbor was bombed in December of 1941 thousands of American lives were suddenly change for ever. Americans of Japanese ancestry found themselves being rounded up and being put into detention camps. For no reason that they could comprehend Japanese American children were taken away from their homes and were put in camps in the middle of dry dusty deserts where life was hard and where they were frequently were separated from loved ones.
Other children saw their fathers, brothers and uncles going off to become soldiers, pilots and sailors. Many also saw their mothers taking on new roles that their mothers had never had before. Some of the women went off to work in factories while others took on the jobs that the men had left vacant.
Many of children were determined to do their part for the war effort. Some even worked part-time in factories ignoring child labor laws. Most however took a more passive, though valuable, role. They collected money, sold bonds, and planted and worked in victory gardens. They also collected scrap metal, paper, leather, string, cloth, and rubber for recycling.
In this excellent title from the "Picture the American Past" series, young readers will get a sense of what it must have been like to be a young person during World War II. An easy to follow text and excellent annotated period photographs makes this book easily accessible for young readers who are new to history titles.
