Don't You Know There's A War On?

It's the middle of WWII. Eleven year-old Howie Crispers' dad is a merchant marine off fighting the Nazis and his mom is working at the Navy Yard. Howie's and his sister's job is to go to school and get good grades. Sounds simple, but with the daily headlines about the War and the constant reminders of nightly blackouts and "Loose lips sink ships," Howie wants to do more to help the war effort.

When he sees Dr. Lomister, the school principal at the front door of a brownstone at a time where he is always at school, Howie knows something is going on. That fact that Lomister is a bit furtive in his actions makes it even more important that Howie finds out what is going on, so he manages to get into the building and do a bit of spying.

What show more Howie finds out is serious stuff that will affect his whole class and involves his teacher Miss Gossim. How is Howie going to stop this horrible event? What can he do? It is especially hard when he does get all the details but is sworn to secrecy.

I enjoy Avi's writing. It takes you into the story and keeps you moving along. This particular book was a two sitting read. I just had to know how things turned out. Even though it is for kids 8 - 12 I think even adults can enjoy it. The chapters are faced with the headlines of the day and there are references from radio shows, slang and attitudes that lend even more to it. show less

First sentence: I was late that Monday morning because my shoelace broke just as I was leaving for school. Meant I had to use some string. Now, you might think string would be easy to find, but it wasn't. String was something you gave away for the war effort. Besides, my sister had already left for school and my mother was at her job at the Navy Yard. Those days me and my family lived in Brooklyn. During the war. When I was eleven.

Premise/plot: Howie Crispers is madly, truly, deeply in love with his fifth grade teacher, Miss Gossim. Howie's best friend, is also madly, truly, deeply in love with her. Both are obsessed with finding out as much as humanly possible about their teacher's personal life. Both report back with each sharing show more juicy and not so juicy details about her life. Wanting almost to one up each other in how good they can be at learning more, more, more. Howie will do just about anything--including following her home, spying at her apartment building, overhearing private conversations, etc. He even 'accidentally' finds himself in her apartment building during a blackout and 'has' to seek refuge in her apartment until the all clear is given. (As far as I know, this is more of a drill or routine practice than actual emergency). She takes him in, confides super personal information to him, and tells him to keep it very quiet--not telling a soul. He tells everyone everything. I don't think Howie could keep a secret if his life depends on it.

Howie rallies his class around 'saving' Miss Gossim's teaching job.

My thoughts: I started off liking this one. Howie is a class-clown, goofy guy. He's presented as a trouble-maker who you can't help liking in spite of it all. But I thought the boys' obsession over their teacher was a little troubling. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be taken that seriously? Perhaps it was supposed to be a 'how cute' moment for readers. Bless their hearts. Those boys are so in love with their teacher. But to me, the more I read, the creepier I found it. Like boundaries were crossed in my opinion. If it's not 'cute' and 'precious' for a grown man to follow a woman home, to listen to her private conversations, to watch what she's doing, who she's seeing, etc., then why is it 'cute' and 'precious' if an eleven year old does it? I know that Howie and his friend aren't going to physically harm their teacher or pose an actual threat. But still. I also felt it very odd that a teacher would confide very personal information to an eleven year old student and ask them to keep it a secret. I also thought it odd that we get a flash forward to the end of war when he's sixteen and *still* having obsessive thoughts over his teacher whom he hasn't seen since fifth grade.

Maybe I'm taking it too seriously? Maybe all the intentions were to be about a boy's puppy love, his first crush, etc.??? show less

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.

World War II is on everyone's mind and in every headline, and Howie Crispers has a hunch that his school principal is a spy. With a little snooping around, Howie finds out something even more alarming. Principal Lomister may not be a spy, but he is plotting to get rid of Howie's favorite teacher. Howie's dad is fighting Nazis overseas, and his mom is working hard to support the war effort, so Miss Gossim is the only person Howie can depend on. With the help of his friends, and a plan worthy of radio show superhero Captain Midnight, Howie intends to save Miss Gossim!

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, show more 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. show less

It's 1943 and Howie's father is serving overseas in World War II, as is the father of his best friend, Denny. Through an unlikely chain of events, Howie learns that their teacher, Miss Gossim, is going to be fired the next week. He doesn't know why, but he's determined to save her job. The book explores father's being away at war and the not knowing when or if they will come home; the difficulties on the home front with rationing, air raid drills, blackouts and women working in manufacturing; and 12-year-olds with schoolboy crushes on their young and pretty teachers.
It seemed to have a little disconnect between the war side of the story, which was largely setting, and the Howie saving the teacher from being fired side of the story, show more which was the bulk of the plot. There were a few brief moments when Howie's crush on Miss Grissom and the way she treated him in unusual circumstances began to border on uncomfortable. Nothing too shocking, but just enough to make this reader squirm a little bit. show less

Howie Crispers is growing up in the challenging times during WWII. His dad is fighting overseas, his mom is working in a factory, and his family must deal with rations, blackouts, and the constant threat of attack. Howie, along with his friend Denny, is a typical preteen with a vivid imagination. He is sure his principle is a spy. What he finds out when he follows him one morning will change the course of Howie's school year and make the realization of war hit close to home.

I have always loved Avi's books, and this one is no different. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating is that I kept wishing as I read the book that it was written in an older voice. The book is written from the perspective of sixteen year-old Howie as he show more looks back on the year he was eleven. I felt the story seemed as if it were being told by a nine year-old, instead of a teen almost an adult. Overall, though, the book was a very intersting look at WWII through the eyes of a child. show less