Different Days

Gr 5–7—Twelve-year-old Rosie wakes up on Sunday, December 7, 1941, expecting to read the newspaper funnies with her dad while her little brother Freddie plays with his toy soldiers and her mother bakes breakfast muffins. But as the title and date suggest, Rosie's day will be anything but normal. Rosie's family are U.S. citizens who have lived in Hawaii for many years—but they are German Americans, and when martial law is declared in Hawaii, Rosie's parents are taken away under suspicion of being German spies. Rosie and Freddie begin their "different days" living with their prickly Aunt Yvonne, who is eager to hide her German heritage, and then with Aunt Etta, who is more loving and supportive of the two frightened children. In addition to Rosie's anxiety about her parents' whereabouts and concern about the loyalty of her closest friend, she is also fearful about the motives of Mr. Smith, the property manager who is responsible for protecting her family's belongings. A fan of Nancy Drew, Rosie begins following Mr. Smith and using her notes to make a case that he is selling people's treasures. Based on a true story of one of the lesser-known chapters of World War II, Erwin's novel about a young girl hoping to be reunited with her parents is an important one. Although a few plot twists seem contrived, this book will appeal to readers of historical fiction.