From: Carrie Schadle <bz227>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 15:54:12 -0400 (EDT)

Well, I think it is important to talk about what Ginny calls the "obvious elements of World War II," because it is those everyday things that were so specific to that time period that will make the book real for children. The ones that come to my mind (I don't have the book in front of me) are: black out shades; painting over the headlights; no butter/sugar for cookies; Lily's being able to identify the planes that fly overhead; letters being blacked out by censors; the constant war news on the radio. The only non-war related details I can think of immediately are Lily and her grandmother listening to the radio soap opera, the kinds of candy she and Margaret were eating and the mention of a few popular songs. Of course, I don't think that many people still summer in Rockaway, either
(though I could absolutely be wrong about that--please correct me if I am). Even Lily's lying problem is expressed most dramatically in lies having to do with the war--her Aunt's involvement, her Dad's involvement, her big lie to Albert about being able to travel to Europe in the convoy. I will be interested to see what non-war related details others mentioned that I missed.

******************************** Carrie Schadle Aguilar Branch, New York Public Library bz227 at freenet.buffalo.edu 212/534)30
Received on Fri 03 Oct 1997 02:54:12 PM CDT