Review: On The Wings Of Heroes

By Richard Peck

Dial Books; 2007; 148 pages

Juvenile Fiction; Historical Fiction

Grades: 3-5

ISBN: 978-0-8037-3081-6

Davy's life changes as he gets older and watches his world change. His older brother goes off to war, his father faces hardships at his filling station, his mother takes a job, and his grandparents move in.

My Thoughts:
This was a very good introduction to the hardships that those on the homefront faced during the early years of WWII. Told from a child's perspective, the story brings out the aspects of rationing and war that children would be able to identify with. For example, Davy compares Halloweens before and after the war started. He points out how kids move into town when their mothers get jobs in the factories. The era and the quirks that go along with it are put in terms that modern day children will understand. It also centers more on relationships and people than it does on events or impersonal facts.

Richard Peck is a very good writer. His story is not only historically accurate, but it is engaging. He gives the historical facts, without getting bogged down in them. I think that this book would be a great way to interest kids in the genre. The read is fairly simple, nothing that the average third grader couldn't handle. The story is interesting enough to both encourage gifted second graders and still intrigue older elementary students. Also, the book is not obviously lower level, so slower or reluctant older readers would not be embarrassed to be seen reading it.

The Thoughts of Others:
Sheldon Fogelman of Publisher's Weekly thought in 2007 that this book was a "delicious mixture of humor, warmth and local color." He praised the characterizations in particular. He also appreciated the realism of the child's perspective.

Booklist's 2007 review by Michael Cart stated that "all in all, there remains no more genial guide for a trip down memory lane than the redoubtable Peck." He noted the episodic nature as engaging to children. The rich description was also impressive.