Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2005. Willow run. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Meggie Dillon lives in Rockaway, New York with her parents and her grandfather. Her brother is fighting in World War II and her grandfather is a German American. When Meggie comes upon two older boys painting a swastika on the window of her home, she bravely chases them away and decides to tell no one. One day Meggie’s father comes home with news that will change Meggie’s life forever. The family will be moving to Willow Run, Michigan so that he can work for a plant that builds B-24 bombers. Despite the fact that Meggie will miss her grandfather terribly, she is convinced that Rockaway is a much safer place for him than Willow Run. After the move, Meggie and her family learn that Meggie’s brother Eddie is missing after the invasion at Normandy, and Meggie,  along with her new friends, is forced to realize, that war affects not only the men and women who are fighting, but also those who are left behind at home.  Giff’s heartwarming story describes in great detail the lives of Americans during World War 2. The descriptions of the apartments where Meggie and her family life along with the details of emotions brought on by the delivery of mail will give readers a glimpse into a period of history that changed our country forever.