Reading Metrics
Description
In wartime Brooklyn in 1943, eleven-year-old Howie Crispers mounts a campaign to save his favorite teacher from being fired.
Quick Summary
With a lively Brooklyn 1943 setting, the story follows eleven-year-old Howie Crispers as he hatches one goofy scheme after another to keep his favorite teacher from getting the axe. The war is in the background, so you get a taste of rationing, air-raid drills, and the feeling that the whole world is on edge, but the book never gets too heavy it's really about a kid's determination, friendship, and the kind of mischief that makes you laugh out loud. Kids who love a good under-dog story, enjoy a dash of humor, or are curious about what life was like for American families during WWII will find a lot to like here, and the short length (about 30,000 words) makes it a quick, satisfying read for both reluctant and eager readers. Parents will appreciate that the tension is mild and resolved in a heart-warming way, and there's a nice little lesson about standing up for what you believe in without being preachy. If you've ever smiled through the pages of *The War That Saved My Life* or the *I Survived* series, you'll feel right at home with Howie's goofy crusade.