All the beloved and familiar elements of Richard Peck's writing are evident in his latest book, On the Wings of Heroes. Davy Bowman and his friend Scooter are active in "the war effort," collecting paper and scrap metal during World War II. Davy's dad is a WWI veteran, and Davy's older brother Bill has enlisted and is learning to fly B17s. As usual, Peck seamlessly combines serious and hilarious business. While Scooter's father is getting ready to leave for the War, Davy and Scooter run into Miss Eulalia Titus, who discourages their rooting around in her barn with a shotgun blast to the tin roof. Miss Eulalia's face is "like a walnut with a mustache," but she is quickly the best teacher they have ever had. Peck considers, with humor and pathos, all aspects of war: soldiers, former soldiers, parents who have lost children, the families left at home. He reiterates, as well, the profoundly important themes of his recent work--it is important to be responsible, honest, hardworking, educated, smart, and to learn from history all that history has to teach us. On the Wings of Heroes is a short book and a quick read, but Peck's brilliant structure (the kids meet all the old-timers as they are scavenging the town for usable stuff) and his economy of expression--not a syllable is wasted in this beautiful text--make it, to my mind, an instant classic.
One of my very favorite things to do is walk around a museum. There's something special about being surrounded by paintings, sculptures, and objects and just getting to wander and take it all in. There are some amazing local museums, including our own Nelson Attic, but if you want to recreate the experience of visiting a museum from the comfort of your own bedroom -- here are some books that will take you there. Mona Lisa and the Others Written by Alice Harman Illustrated by Quentin Blake London: Thames & Hudson, 2023. Informational. 95 pgs. If you're going to visit a museum from your bedroom, you might as well start with the most famous museum in the world -- and home to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa -- Paris' Louvre Museum. Mona Lisa herself is on hand to introduce readers to the Louvre before passing the mic to other masterpieces who are all eager to say why they are the museum's real treasure. The result is an engaging book with lots of facts and crisp reproductions
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