(Book cover compliments of Titlewave)
Bibliography
Giff, Patricia Reilly, and Staci Snell. 2006. Willow Run. [New York]: Listening Library. ISBN 030728333X
Plot summary
Set in 1944 during WWII, 11-year old Meggie learns about many forms of courage and generational bonds when her family moves from her home town to far away Willow Run, Michigan, where her father works in B-24 bomber factory.
Critical Analysis
Meggie Dillon’s world get turned upside down when her father accepts a job at a bomb-making factory in Michigan necessitating her family’s move from the familiar surroundings of home in Rockaway, New York. Narrator Staci Snell of this audio version, brings to life the honest 11-year old voice of Meggie and shines with the rich, German accent of Meggie’s beloved grandfather. Set 1944 WWII, Meggie grows in her understanding of courage and bravery as she deals with missing her soldier brother fighting oversees, struggles with shame and fear for her often-embarassing German grandfather, and learns how to listen and encourage new friends also struggling with missing home and loved ones. Richly laced with the music, foods, entertainment, and culture of the 1940s, Giff paints a detailed portrait of homefront life during WWII. Quiet, but impulsive at times, Meggie’s maturity grows sequentially as she learns to accept increasingly difficult wartime deprivations “for the duration” and learns to make loving sacrifices for her family and friends. Well-paced and thoughtfully read, listeners to this audio version will be captivated by the heart-felt story of Meggie and the strong bonds of family.
Reviews and Honors
“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 … each with his or her own worries, fears, and hopes.”—Starred Review, BookList
“This is a rare, vivid glimpse of the wartime sacrifices of American families who stayed behind during WWII.”- Starred Review, Kirkus
Book Links starred 09/01/05
Booklist starred 07/01/05
Horn Book 09/01/05
Horn Book starred 04/01/06
Kirkus Review starred 09/15/05
School Library Journal 09/01/05
Wilson's Children 10/01/10
Wilson's Junior High School 08/21/06
Connections
- Have students read other stories of children/young adults on the homefront during WWII . Include Lily’s Crossing, also written by Giff that includes the same characters from Willow Run. Some titles might include:
Don't You Know There's a War On? (Avi)
Weedflower (Kadohata)
The Art of Keeping Cool (Lisle)
Stepping on the Cracks (Hahn)
The Green Glass Sea (Klages)
Autumn Street (Lowry)
Best Friends Forever (Patt)
On the Wings of Heroes (Peck)
Jimmy’s Stars (Rodman)
Blue (Hoestetter)
Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway? (Avi)
Homefront (Gwaltney)
Under the Blood Red Sun (Salisbury)
- Allow students to select a WWII place/event or 1944 culture from the story and create group presentations. Examples include D-Day invasion of Normandy, US/German spies, bomb raids, movie theater news reels, rations, women working in factories, etc. Encourage students to use video footage or photos (see www.history.com).
- Have students locate information, video clips, and photos on WWII US weapon production especially including background on the B-24 production plant at Willow Run http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/b24s-production.
- Have a guest speaker come share their experiences of life on the homefront during WWII. Afterward, have students apply some of what they learn about cost-saving measures from the book and guest speaker to families today experiencing economic challenges through real-practice "experiments."
