Willow Run: Summary and book reviews of Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff, plus links to an excerpt from Willow Run and a biography of Patricia Reilly Giff.
Willow Run
by Patricia Reilly Giff
Hardcover: Sep 2005,
160 pages.
Paperback: Feb 2007,
176 pages.
Meggie Dillon's life has been turned upside down by World War II. Her older
brother Eddie enlisted and was shipped off to fight in Europe. And people say
that anywhere else Grandpa would be turned in because he's German, and people
might think he's a spy. Is it true? Could Grandpa be taken away?
Meggie's father has announced that they must help the war effort and move to
Willow Run, Michigan, where he'll work nights in a factory building important
war planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe. Willow Run will be the
greatest adventure ever, Meggie thinks. There she meets Patches and Harlan,
other kids like her whose parents have come here to do their part in the war.
And there she faces questions about courage, and what it takes to go into
battle, like Eddie, and how to keep hope alive on the home front.
Giff weaves a number of story threads together against a realistic 1940s backdrop that will have children aged 9-12 thinking hard about important issues such as the meaning of courage and cowardice and how war leaves no person unaffected. (Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Children's Literature - Beverley Fahey
Giff has given us a story of sacrifice, the power of family, and characters that embody the strength of spirit of those on the home front during WWII.
School Library Journal - Renee Steinberg
Giff's engrossing, heartwarming story will help readers understand how personally war affects people. Grades 4-7.
Kirkus Reviews
Spam and spies, 1940s songs and Victrolas and a lively cast of characters make wartime America pop to life in this finely wrought story of cowardice, courage and digging deep. Ages 9-12.
Booklist - Ilene Cooper
Starred Review. Tough and tender, this is an excellent addition to World War II shelves. Grades 4-6
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Willow Run follows Lily's best friend, Meggie, when her family must move to Willow Run, Mich., to work in a factory and help the war effort.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Louise J. Excellent!! Margaret “Meggie” Dillion lives in Rockaway, New York with her mother, father and grandfather. Her old brother, Eddie, has enlisted to fight in the war and everyone is having a difficult time coping with Eddie’s absence.
Meggie’s Grampa is... Read More
Rated of 5
by Sprinkles to my ice cream!!!!!!! 3 Awesome sequal to Lily's crossing!!! PLEASE READ!!!!! I've read this book once because it looked cool when read it a second time for a school WWII project. Still love this book always will. Lily's crossing was a little more interesting and had more cliffhangers. The part when they got ice cream was... Read More
Rated of 5
by Abster fabulous This book will get children and adults thinking about how life is in war. Meggie shows courage and bravery, while grandfather bravely faces racism with a calm, comforting attitude. Great read!
Rated of 5
by sugarbear back in the day This is very interesting book. It talks about D-Day, which we are talking about in social studies. The Nazi movement was not a very good thing, but the history behind it is very interesting and and I got to read more. A child of about 12 would... Read More
Rated of 5
by Eric (2) thumbs down My ten year old did not like book; very hard for him to complete. Book was just plain boring and did not keep his (or mine) interest.
Rated of 5
by Carly Excellent Book I thought that this book was wonderful and I would definitely recommend it for children and adults. It is such a heart warming and beautiful story, and very interesting too. I guarantee you will love this book as I much as I did.
As a child, Patricia Reilly Giff's favorite books included Little Women,
The Secret Garden, the Black Stallion books, the Sue Barton books,
and the Nancy Drew series. She loved reading so much that while growing up, her
sister had to grab books out of her hands to get her to pay attention to her;
later; her three children often found themselves doing the same thing. As a
reading teacher for 20 years, the educational consultant for Dell Yearling and
Young Yearling books, an adviser and instructor to aspiring writers, and the
author of more than 60 books for children, Patricia Reilly Giff has spent her
entire life surrounded by books.
After earning a B.A. degree from Marymount College, she took the advice of the
school's dean and decided to become a teacher. She admits, "I loved teaching. It
was my world. I only left because I was overwhelmed with three
careers - teaching, writing, and my family."
During the 20 years of her teaching career, she earned an M.A. from St. John's
University, and a Professional Diploma in...
A moving story of a first-generation Japanese-American girl facing the hardships and discrimination of post WWII America. Winner of the 2005 Newbery Award. Ages 11+.
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Stranger than fiction, blending tragedy and farce, How to Create the Perfect Wife is an engrossing tale of the radicalism, and deep contradictions, at the heart of the Enlightenment.
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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(787 words).
of 5
by Louise J.
of 5
by sugarbear
of 5
by Eric
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