BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2005. WILLOW RUN. New York: Random House Children's Books. ISBN: 0-385-90096-1
PLOT SUMMARY:
World War II forced Americans to make changes and sacrifices "for the duration"; Willow Run shares the journey of one young girl and her family from New York to Michigan without a beloved son/brother who is serving in Europe. Meggie loves her home by the beach, her friends, and time with her grandfather. While she is sad at her brother's absence, Meggie believes his great adventure in the army will allow for her to be the only child and favorite of her family.Things will only be different "for the duration" according to all the adults. Soon they won't have to eat Spam; soon they won't have to wear worn shoes since the rubber shortage makes new ones nearly impossible to afford; and soon the men and boys from her town will be home rather than being simply marked by silver stars in the windows.
Meggie's father takes a job building B24 bombers on an assembly line in Michigan to do his part for the war effort forcing his family halfway across the country. Meggie's grandfather stays behind and leaves a whole in their family like the absence of her brother, Eddie. Despite the absence from her grandfather and her friends, Meggie keeps in touch by writing letters. She also pursues her passion for writing by submitting short stories and slogans for marketing contests of common products. She and her grandfather dream of winning and taking a trip together to New York City. One day after the war, her brother will be home, her family can reunite back in her hometown, she can stop eating Spam, and she and her grandfather can win a contest...after all, these changes are just "for the duration".
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
From descriptions of the cars, past times, clothes, and stars of the period, Giff takes the reader back to 1944 in Willow Run. She centers the story around a girl the age of her target audience and uses her voice to tell the story of family, of change, and of growing up. These themes meet every pre-teen, tweenie, and early teen where they are and is a good fit for students from 5th- 9th grade. A reader will understand her struggles to adapt to the family move and to her initial feelings upon arrival in Michigan. Giff's description of the scene (children playing, people sitting outside, curious looks) is endearing and will touch a cord with any reader who has ever had to move into a new place leaving security and contentment behind.
Readers will be able to learn details of the daily life of children during the 1940s in America in the first person. The accuracy of Giff's historical details give readers an understanding of the movie stars, the styles, and the family structure of the day. Meggie watches as her mother and female neighbors move into the workplace at the bomber factory; readers see this major shift in American through her eyes.
World War II is a pivotal time in history, particularly American history. Meggie and her friends pass along their growth and vision to the readers of Willow Run.
AWARDS/REVIEWS:
*School Library Journal: "A worthwhile choice for historical fiction collections." (Jo-Ann Carhart)
*Booklist (starred review): "Giff artfully carves the sentiments so prevalent in times of war--anxiety, inspiration, boredom--into sharp relief while creating a cast of finely drawn characters (the kind of people Meggie would never have met had she stayed home), each with his or her own worries, fears, and hopes." (Ilene Cooper)
CONNECTIONS:
*read together as a class the prequel book, Lily's Crossing
*have students do research and present findings on topics related to key elements in the story:
a) B24 Bombers and their manufacturing
b) the stories of German-Americans during WWII
c) the D-Day landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944
d) movie news reels during WWII
e) marketing contests conducted by products during the WWII era
f) the 'war efforts' of people at home in the U.S. during WWII, including the shortages of supplies they faced
g) the movement of women into the U.S. workforce
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