Judith Pinkerton Josephson loves to dig into the past. She believes that behind every person, every relationship, any major event, there lies a story or several stories. Her award-winning biographies, history books, and picture books include fiction and nonfiction for children.  She has also co-written funny grammar books for adults. In this column, she blogs about the reissue as an e-book of her previously published print book about the children in America who grew up during World War II.

 

 

War affects children, no matter where or when in the world it’s waged or what countries are involved. Sometimes it leads young people to serve and do extraordinary things, as it did our late president George H.W. Bush, who served in WWII. Young people, faced with the possible loss of those they loved, did their best to help out at home. They collected scrap metal, saved money to buy war bonds, planted Victory Gardens, and learned to do without things like sugar, butter, new shoes, and bicycles. Teenagers lied about their age and joined the military. Children saw their mothers enter the work force, doing jobs usually held by men. “We Can Do It” urged Rosie the Riveter. Posters and slogans urged people to unite behind the effort. For my newly revised and reissued book Growing up in World War II (eFrog Press), I talked with people who were children then. Not surprisingly, their memories spilled out, vivid and lasting. I collected stories of what life was like for them.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Verna Morimatsu, age seven, had been playing outside her home when she noticed strange planes flying toward Pearl Harbor. When she entered her home, she heard a huge crash and found a gaping hole left by an unexploded bomb that had fallen through the roof and dining room floor, leaving splinters strewn about, and the furniture in pieces. An attack on Pearl Harbor had begun. Mara Hart remembers how scary it was at night when both her parents ventured out into a darkened New York City as air raid wardens, making sure no lights alerted approaching enemies about potential bombing targets. Margie Bolger Greek recounted how English parents sent their daughter Vina to Ohio; she became part of Margie’s family for the duration of the war. Paul Shook lived near a military base. He and other second graders stood and waved to military convoys passing by their La Cañada, California school. The soldiers threw bubble gum to the kids—a rare treat with rationing in place.  Robert Raymond remembers losing his beloved older brother to the war. Leroy Anderson remembered his family gathering around the radio each night to listen to the war report. It was a solemn time—no talking allowed.

During the World War II years, Americans heeded the rallying cry, “Uncle Sam Wants You.” And yet there was also a darker side to the war effort. German Americans were suspect. The government forced Japanese American children and their families to leave their homes and businesses and enter internment camps that felt like prisons. People’s ongoing racist attitudes erected barriers for African American young people like Martin Luther King, Jr.

Discover what life was like for American children during World War II through true stories of young people who lived through this time. Children who lived through World War II never forgot.  As adults, they found that the war changed their lives forever.

Written for middle grade readers and up, Growing Up in WWII makes this now “long ago” war real to young people and challenges them to think about patriotism, sacrifice, and the impact of history. The many photographs of children and primary source documents like letters, maps, posters, images of poppies, songs, and even recipes help bring the period of 1941 to 1945 to life.

Check out the ebook on Amazon Kindle at  Growing Up in World War II (for readers middle grade and up, plus older readers)

Amazon has named it #1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Military History eBooks

Visit me at www.judithjosephson.com, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.