The Sky Is Falling

An excellent look into the life and times of a ten year old English girl whose world is disrupted by the bombing of England in World War II. She and her young brother are sent to Canada for safety, along with thousands of other English children.

I appreciated learning many details about this time and what the children experienced -- elderly friends of mine went through this upheaval and were permanently scarred by it. Knowing a little more about what they faced is helpful. Many times in the book I wished Norah would react other than the way she did -- but admit to myself I reacted similarly many times as a young person when stresses were high and aid, options, and insights were few.

The story is also a real page-turner. I stayed up too show more late a couple of nights in a row as a result. It is not unremitting misery -- there are high spots and light moments -- but the pain and isolation is not shied away from nor the incomprehension of adults disguised. Highly recommended for anyone, young or old, who has ever felt alone, different, surly and afraid, or has sympathy for others who have. ( ) show less

Norah watches the skies, eager to do her bit for her country, as the Germans and the RAF dogfight above her village. She is horrified to hear that she and her little brother are being evacuated to Canada. This begins a time of misery, from the sea crossing, to the move to a volunteer family that only wanted a small boy, not a sour older sister.
I was fond of Norah from the very start, and while I could see how frustrating her sullenness was for the people around her, I could understand exactly why she had such a hard time adjusting to her situation. The answers in this books aren't easy, and it takes growth by several of the man characters before Norah and her brother settle into their new lives.
I'd give this to readers looking for show more historical fiction, adventure stories, and especially for stories about brothers and sister. show less

This book was one of my favourites when I was about 9 or 10 years old. and after re-reading it as an adult I still find that I love it. When I started reading the book for the second time, I only had a vague memory of the book, but I was drawn into the story from the first chapter and I could not put the book down until it was finished.The characters are charming, and in particular Norah and Aunt Mary.

I read this book for a sixth grade assignment, for which I had to make a film strip with sound effects and give a class presentation. I returned to this book more than once when I was young. Though I have not read it for many years, I still remember how vividly if affected me as a child and would recommend it for any young reader.

I also remember how much fun I had working on the film strip sound effects with my father. We did so much with a few low cost items, most of which we already had around the house -- no professional tapes for us! The teacher loved our efforts and kept my project over to use as an example for future classes, a rare honor for me.

This book is a little slow and boring in my opinion. I would not recommend it for someone who has not done much reading. This book would be better suited for a young person with lots of reading experience, lots of patience, and an eye for subtlety. The ending is wonderful.