On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

Summary:

On The Wings of Heroes is a story about a young boy named Davy Bowman. Davy Bowman is growing up during WWII in Illinois and must deal with the changes going on around him. He tells his story about life before and during World War II. Before the war things were simple, fun, and childlike. Davy and his friends could have fun in their neighborhood playing games and enjoying Halloween. Davy's father, Earl, is a WWI vet that owns a local gas station. Davy knows that the war affected his father mentally and emotionally because he doesn't talk about his war experiences. He was also wounded in battle. Davy Bowman's world is happy and safe because his Dad and his older brother Bill are home and always there to do things with him. They are Davy's heroes.

Pearl Harbor is bombed and Davy's world changes significantly. Bill has joined the Army Air Corps "for the duration," and the family anxiously awaits word from him after he is shipped overseas. Davy's father is brokenhearted after Bill enlists. Davy's father becomes the local air raid warden. Bill becomes a B-17 bombardier, flying missions over Germany. There are air raid drills and endless scrap drives. Everything is being rationed. The families during WWII are expected to ration food, rubber, gas, and other precious staples. Families are torn apart. New students enroll in Davy's school. Children are being left as orphans while many mothers work from "eight to five" at the local war plants. Davy and his best friend, Scooter, travel around on their bikes savaging metal for the war effort. The whole community comes together to unite and contribute to the war effort.

Davy still has his heroes to depend upon but soon he begins to discover that in his neighborhood there are other heroes and during the next few years he learns what sacrifice and courage really means.

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:

War can be painful and difficult for adults but can also be very traumatic and complicated for children. This is the story of wartime America from a child’s perspective and the growing up that occurs as a result. Davy's hero, his brother, Bill has decided to enlist causing tension and heartbreak in the family. My brother decided to enlist in the Marines right after he graduated from high school. On the day of September 11, 2001 my brother was boarding a plane in Corpus Christi, Texas when 9-11 happened. He was fully dressed in Marine uniform when chaos struck. As a family, we feared for his life and his future as we were watching events unfold on our television. My mother was frantically driving back from the airport listening to the radio updates. I could relate to Davy and his family. Families can change in a matter of seconds because of war. My family feared for my brother and his fellow Marines futures. Marines are the first ones to fight and that's all we could think about at the time.

This book is an outstanding example of well written historical fiction that captures the heart and soul of families during war times, not only the wars of the past, but also the wars of the present. I immediately made the connection to 9-11 as the story progressed thinking of my own family. I highly recommend this book as a useful tool for history teachers. It could also be used as a resource for young adult readers that have family members in the military. I sincerely hope that veteran grandparents share this book with their grandchildren and children.