Recently, one of my 5th grade students has been asking me to read one of his favorite authors, Mary Downing Hahn. I had resisted because I always thought her books were in the scary genre. I'm not too crazy about the scary genre because I just don't like scary things. However, it seemed really important to him that I try this book. So, I asked him to recommend one to me and he did. I brought it home to read during Christmas break. I just finished it last night.
Well, that's sort of an understatement. I finished it last night after having picked it up 2 or 3 hours before. That's right, I picked it up and I couldn't put it down. I'm hooked! The book he picked out for me was Stepping on the Cracks. It's about a group of kids growing up during World War II. All of their older brothers have either enlisted or have been drafted. They spend their time wondering about where their older brothers are. There is some sadness. Some of the sadness comes from family dynamics, some from the fact that there is a war and not everyone comes home. There is also joy; joy when the war is over, when love is found and when justice is served. This book was not scary, it was full of suspense.
I can't wait to get back to school and check out another book from this author. The kids have always checked her out consistently. I noticed this, but I resisted. Silly me.
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