100 Days and 99 Nights
by Alan Madison
by Alan Madison
100 DAYS AND 99 NIGHTS by Alan Madison Category: Contemporary Age Recommendation: Grades 6+ Release Date: 5/1/08 Publisher: Little, Brown Reviewed by: hoopsielv Rating: 4 Stars Esme's father is a sergeant in the United States Army. Her family has lived in locations like Korea, Kenya, and Germany. Now they are settled in the United States and they enjoy spending time together as a family. During one of those happy times her father announces that he must leave for duty. 100 days and 99 nights is a long time, but he knows that Esme will do her best to help her mother. Esme sends her treasured baby blanket along with him. Daddy is never far from Esme’s thoughts. He misses things like her class play and soccer games, but Esme has the hardest time when he’s not there to tuck her in at night or make breakfast on Saturday mornings. Grandpa tries to fill in but it’s not the same. At school the students discuss what they can do to help the soldiers. They want to plant a victory garden but that will have to wait until spring. They collect scrap metal and Esme is featured in a newspaper article showcasing their efforts. Daddy is so proud! 100 days and 99 nights is a long time, especially when things don’t go so well. Esme becomes angry when daddy’s not around. She knows he’s a strong, brave person who is doing a great job, but she’s counting the days until he comes home! This is a poignant book about the impact of war on those who are left behind that even younger children will be able to relate to. |