Willow Run

Module 6

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2005. Willow run. New York: Random House.

During World War II Meggie Dillon and her family move to Michigan so that her father can work in an airplane factory to help win the war. Her brother Eddie is fighting in Europe and her grandfather must stay behind in New York. As she adapts to her new surroundings, and misses her grandfather, she also must face fears about losing her brother in the war. When they receive the news that her brother is missing in action, she realizes that she must be strong. Her relationships with her friends and family are a source of that strength. The story is told from Meggie's point of view, yet through the dialogue we capture the feelings of the other characters. They are well developed, believable, and show the struggles many families had waiting for their young soldiers to return home from the war. When Meggie imagines that a young ice cream man is a spy, she is simply reflecting the common fears of that time. The World War II setting of the story is accurately portrayed. Descriptions of food rationing and of families living in hastily built apartment buildings near defense factories are authentic and well-researched. While the mood of the story is sometimes sad, the overriding theme seems to be hope. Meggie, like many during this difficult time in American history, had to hang on to hope to survive. This heartwarming novel is recommended for children in grades 4-7.