Don't You Know There's A War On? (2001)

A fascinating story to listen to while traveling. A sixteen year old narrator looks back to the time when he was he was eleven and his beautiful teacher was required to resign. When he fines out why the suspicious principal is requiring this he gets the whole town to sign his petition to keep this fifth grade teacher. Humorous, endearing and with a light touch on the wartime climate in Brooklyn, NY in the 1940's. ( )

Once again, Avi has a hit with Don't You Know There's a War On?
I am partial to historical fiction, and this book is light on factual historical details, which is fine. I don't think Avi meant for it to be that kind of book. What it is, is a story about a boy whose curiousity gets him into all kinds of trouble. But, it is funny every time you turn the page. The descriptions of action are fabulous and it is easy to imagine each scene! At times this book is just laugh out loud funny! The premise of the plot is that the main character, narrator, Howie thinks his prinicipal is a spy. It is set in Brooklyn during WW2 and it is easy to imagine a boy running around Brooklyn trying to do his own investigation. I haven't read all of Avi's books, but this is definitely my favorite. Believable characters, well scripted dialogue, and setting descriptions that are easy to imagine, even to a reader that is unfamiliar with this era in history. If there is any negative aspect to this book, it would be the fact that most students may not have the background knowledge regarding the homefront during WW2 to really get all the humor and understand the trials and tribulations people suffered in America during this time. ( )

Save the teacher! ( )

It’s Brooklyn New York during WWII and Mr. Lomister (they think he’s a Nazi) at the Robert Fulton School is trying to get Miss Gossim fired just because she is going to have a baby and Howie (who has a crush on her) and the whole class has decided to put their money where there mouth is (there’s a war on you know) and go to Lomister’s boss, Mrs. Walch, and fight for her job. Landrum’s range from Brooklynese kid to gentle Mrs. Walch is flawless. Avi creatively inserts news coverage from the war before each chapter. When life becomes too difficult, Avi has the answer: think of cake!
If You liked This, Try: V is for Victory: The American Home Front During World War II (People’s History) by Sylvia Whitman, The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco, World WarII for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk. ( )

In wartime Brooklyn in 1943, eleven-year-old Howie Crispers mounts a campaign to save his favorite teacher from being fired.