This book was written in the 1940's, the book setting was Maryland, but it also took us to another setting which was the location of World War II. The settings of this book brought it to life and helped make it feel like you were living in the moment and could sense the way these people were feeling in the book. I really enjoyed reading about this and it truly shed light on the things people went through at the time. ( )

This story is inspired by the author's real life experience of her uncle's youth and service on the Albacore submarine. It begins with an explanation about WWII in 1944, when young Molly was just in 4th grade. Her brave neighbor Ted, who is named after the author's uncle, enlists to serve his country. Upon his return home, on his leave, all of the neighborhood kids were amazed by Ted's facts about the Navy. As Molly and the other children are living everyday lives, attending school, all she can think about it Ted. Molly's fourth grade teacher taught the students more and more about the war and asked the students to write letters to servicemen and she and others immediately decide to write to Ted. They never received any responses from Ted and were devastated when his mother receives a telegram that his submarine went missing. Ted never returned.

Writing about history and one's own experience is a great way to create a new story, brining to life personal events and memorializing the bravery of servicemen in a very dangerous war. This book is a perfect exemplar of writing to both educate about war and how it effected everyone, near and far. ( )

This story shows the troubles of war as a soldier but also how it affected people back home. Set during the time of World War II, Ted Walker entered the war in 1941 and reported for duty right away. He was neighbors to Molly and Sam. While Ted was on leave he taught the children many things, including how to polish their Sunday shoes. When his leave was over Ted headed back to war on the Pacific, in a submarine. Two days before Christmas, the children learned that Ted was missing in action as of December 12, 1944. This affected many people close to Ted’s life. By July, people cherished the stories of Ted and never wanted to forget. When the war ended in August of 1945, it was good news except for the fact that Ted would never come home. Now grown, Molly and Sam still think of Ted and the important stories that will be passed down.
This story is interesting because it shows the life of people at home but also, the lives of the soldiers at war. The setting of this story is why this story is so powerful. It shows how war not only affected soldiers but what it was like for people at home to be missing their family or friends. Soldiers were not always heard from and many were left imaging what was happening at war like Molly had done. ( )

This book is from the perspective of a little girl who is an elementary school student during WW2. She recounts the story of her neighbor Ted who, she and her little brother adored. He ended up going to the Pacific and she talks about the feels she had when they got a telegram saying he was missing in action. This book is based on a real person. I would classify it as historical fiction and a partial autobiography. The book is historical fiction because it takes place at a real time during a real war. I would also say it could be an autobiography because the girl is talking about her experiences although not every character in her story match up with what really happened.

Summary: This story takes place during WWII in the US. A little girl named Molly, has a neighbor, Ted, who goes off to serve in the Navy. As Molly tells the story, she navigates her way through missing a friend over seas and going to school in the US. She writes letters and realizes the safety of her classroom. When Ted is declared missing in action, Molly deals with her grieving and watches as those around her are effected as well.
Genre: This book would be considered Historical Fiction. While the Ted, the sailor, is the author's uncle, the story told by the little girl is not what happened. The author does a good time capturing some of the events of WWII from a child's perspective and the emotions that came with it.
Medium: Ink and water color
Age Appropriateness: I would read this book to kids at the 1st-4th. The content is a little more serious for younger kids, and there is more writing content. Kids at a younger grade might not follow what is happening.
Use in a classroom: One use of this book would be to learn about WWII and some of the basic events that happened. The story gives some good details that aren't too serious and talk more about the Japan side of the war. Another use would be to talk about how to grieve the loss of someone or why we appreciate those who are fighting for our country.