Overview

World War II. Hitler is threatening to take over the world. Eddie Carl thinks America should stop him-it's just plain right. But Eddie's too young to fight, and their farm in Illinois is a long way from the fighting. Ellisville, where the big news story is gophers in the graveyard and the new bank alarm. But then America joins the war and Eddie's brother Thomas goes off to fly a bomber. Suddenly the war doesn't seem so far away. And Eddie faces more grown-up problems at home: A fire that might be arson, Grampa Rob all stubborn and mean, Grama Lucy hiding something. And that redhead Sarah definitely likes him-unless maybe she hates him. Eddie's in the middle of it all, trying to figure out what's right. Let Thomas fight World War II. Eddie's war is right here in Ellisville. Eddie's War is a lyrical collection of prose vignettes linking Eddie, his family, and a small-town cast of Ellisvillians. Poignant and funny, this World War II story tells how a distant war affects the life of one boy in the Heartland.

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Reviews

Maryland State Black-Eyed Susan Award, 2014-2015 nominee (Grades 6-9) Bankstreet Best Children's Books of the Year, 2012 (Ages 12-14, Outstanding Merit) 2012 Best of the Best Fiction for Teens, Chicago Public Library Kirkus Reviews, Best Children's Books of 2011 Horn Book, Recommended Verse Narratives A poignant look at boyhood . . . In spare language and remarkably short sketches, carefully selected details effectively portray well-rounded, interesting characters . . . Much more an emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale than a war story, this will be an easy sell for those seeking a quick, excellent read. -Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2011 Free verse vignettes will appeal to reluctant readers. Compare to Robert Cormier's Frenchtown Summer or Rick Beck's Necking With Louise. Very highly recommended. -Children's Literature Beautifully phrased and vividly revealing of character . . . an authentic window into the past that recalls the narrative power of Karen Hesse's verse and the moral debate in Mary Downing Hahn's Stepping on the Cracks. -Horn Book, recommended verse narratives The narrative's steady progression focuses on a boy's maturation into his teen years . . . Eddie's reflections . . . connect the larger peaceful aspirations of a postwar world with the simple individual dreams of a teen. -School Library Journal Beautifully written prose vignettes. -Bankstreet Best Books of 2012 A steady beautiful narrative of a male's coming-of-age from a child to a teen falling in love during turbulent times. The prejudice in this idyllic town is real and frightening as is Hitler's genocide of Jews and Gypsies. Eddie's growth and maturation is authentic, as Saller's command of style and character development excels . . . The author has an excellent website . . . This would be an ideal choice for class discussions or book groups. -Catholic Library World Saller's poems build from finely delineated episodes of no immediately apparent weight into a cumulative portrait of a tightly interlocked community, where routine, patriotism, and neighborly support cannot always confine darker attitudes and deeds to the shadows. The contemplative tone of the entries and the misplaced accusations against an innocent man are reminiscent of Betsy Byars' Keeper of the Doves. -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books True and tender. -Nikki Grimes, the poetry zone

Author Information

Carol Fisher Saller grew up not far from Ellisville in the bigger city of Peoria. She lives in Chicago, where she is a contributing editor to The Chicago Manual of Style.

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