Drawing upon her, own childhood memories, and a good deal of research, Ann Stalcup tells young readers the story of life as it was lived on the English homefront during World War II.

Born in 1935, Ann was four years old when England declared war on Germany. Although life in the little country village of Lydney was far removed from the horrors of the blitz in London, the local people still suffered from fear, uncertainty, and deprivation. Gas masks were issued to all; Ann's mother hastily stitched up "black-out" curtains, and her father headed out to air raid warden duties nightly.

First, thousands of children were evacuated from the cities to the country. Soon came ration books, victory gardens, tea-rationing, and powdered eggs. When the Germans started air raids in June 1940, the war drew closer, and Ann and her family huddled under the stairs, listening for planes and the growl of their flying bombs.

Full as it is of humorous and touching vignettes -- such as a ballet dress sewn from muslin bandages, or a birthday cake made of salt -- this book will make wartime England real for children. Churchill, the "little ships", voices over the "wireless; German and Italian POWs, and finally, the coming of the "Yanks" are all part of the child's view of war. They contribute to a story of great richness, useful as a read-aloud, for reports, or simply to fascinate children who may never have known about the everyday life of a nation at war.