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Jimmy's Stars (Hardcover)

by Mary Ann Rodman (Author) "The two people Ellie McKelvey hated most were Adolf Hitler and Victoria Gandeck..." (more)
Key Phrases: salmon pea wiggle, jeep accident, service flag, Miss Granberry, Miss Deetch, Aunt Toots (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4–6—Ellie McKelvey feels assured that her brother, Jimmy, will not be drafted into the army because he the only breadwinner in the family while their father is recuperating from a broken leg. She is certain that the draft board will have forgotten about Jimmy or that the war will end quickly. But the Nazis and the Japanese continue to advance, and Jimmy eventually receives his orders. As the war and Ellie's story drag on, she displays a typical 11-year-old's childish anger, blaming her brother for promises he cannot keep. She witnesses her neighbors experiencing death notices and the return of wounded soldiers. Rodman's development of a child's emotional response through her protagonist's unwavering wishful thinking climaxes as word comes of Jimmy's heroic death. Ellie's disbelief extends to desperation and then hopeful thoughts that an error has occurred and that her brother will return any day. Ellie's story moves slowly, but readers will sympathize with her loneliness and inner strength to believe in miracles. This psychological, child-oriented war perspective could provide significance in today's military dilemma.—Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Beautifully crafted . . .  Ellie’s intense outpouring of grief is masterfully portrayed, and Rodman’s painstaking attention to historical detail creates a vividly realized sense of time and place. Readers will find this emotionally gripping story of love and loss profoundly moving.” —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

"Finds beauty in every emotional nuance as Ellie hurtles between self pity, denial, and even rage toward her brother for having “welshed on the deal.” The lively spirit of working-class Pittsburgh, where neighborhood families live for news of the war and the fate of their sons, extends Ellie’s personal story with a broader sense of homefront life. Suggest this fine novel as enrichment to World War II curricula." —Starred, Booklist
 
"This psychological, child-oriented war perspective could provide significance in today's military dilemma." —School Library Journal
 
"Rodman's careful attention to Ellie and Jimmy's pre-enlistment domestic rituals and to their upbeat, encouraging correspondence establishes the tight, affectionate bond between brother and sister."
Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

“Packed with intimate details about life in America during World War II, this book will leave readers with a meaningful picture of what it was like to live through those very hard years.” —Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Review


See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 9-12
  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1 edition (April 29, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0374337039
  • ISBN-13: 978-0374337032
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,006 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #86 in  Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Military & Wars


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6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, April 12, 2009
Ellie McKelvey, a sixth-grader from Pittsburgh, enjoyed baseball, going out to the movies with her brother Jimmy, and hanging out with her friends, but she despised Victoria Gandeck. After all, Victoria called Jimmy a slacker because he had not gone off to fight in the war like Victoria's own four brothers. Ellie knew that Jimmy had a deferment from the service because their family depended on his earnings. However, now that their dad had returned to work, it was only a matter of time before the draft board would call her brother into the service.

Jimmy reported for duty on October 2, 1943. Ellie missed her brother terribly, and she tried to take comfort in his promise to come home for Christmas. All around her, the war effort impacted every part of Ellie's life. Her Aunt Toots moved from West Virginia into their house, into Jimmy's room, so she could get a factory job. Ellie's mother also joined the likes of Rosie the Riveter and found work at a factory, her older sister got a job at the local diner when the owner's daughter joined a volunteer women's division of the navy, and Ellie found herself performing a growing number of household tasks. Daily routines changed as food items became rationed and as materials from children's toys were recycled for wartime production. Even at school she could not escape the war, with her teacher's bulletin board covered with pictures of former students and family members who had joined the military. Worst of all was the collective shock and grief when the telegram delivery boy brought news about the loss of a loved one.

By approaching the difficult theme of war through the eyes of an eleven-year old girl, Mary Ann Rodman makes the story both accessible and spellbinding for middle grade readers. Of particular interest is the book's focus on major adjustments and sacrifices that adults and children made in their daily lives as part of the war effort, even though they were far removed from the actual fighting. Jimmy's Stars also deserves high praise for its unpredictable plot, well-developed characters, and carefully-researched historical backdrop.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy's Stars, February 8, 2009
This book takes place during World War 2. Ellie's older brother Jimmy is drafted as a medic in the Army. He promises Ellie that he will be safe and be home for Christmas. She and he are quite close and she is focusing on his promises as a way to keep going while he is fighting the war. This book shows the effects of war on the soldiers in both a physical and mental way. It also shows the effects of war on the family members left behind.
This book would be good for MS readers or HS readers. I think both boys and girls would like this book. It has a lot of war stories in it and has strong male and female characters.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Story of World War II From A Child's Point-of-view, August 31, 2008
Using vivid sensory descriptions, Mary Ann Rodman illustrates American family life from a child's perspective during World War II. This gentle, nostalgic story explains how Ellie McKelvey's world turns upside down when her beloved brother Jimmy is drafted into the war.

With competence and creativity, Rodman lures the reader into the past, revealing a child's fears from a bygone day.

Rodman skillfully exposes the sacrifices that American families experienced amidst the fear, the angst, and the uncertainty of war life from the home front. Jimmy's Stars is a must-read for today's youth who know little of sacrifice, especially from America's own history.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for adults and children alike

Jimmy's Stars is a beautiful, poignant and touching story. Eleven year old Ellie McKelvey finds out one day that her beloved brother, Jimmy, has been drafted into the war... Read more
Published 11 months ago by A. Pohren

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Mid-Grade by an Award Winning Author
Mary Ann Rodman has captured the spirit of many youngsters during World War II in her delightful and latest book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Nancy Craddock

5.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy's Stars

This is a poignant story about a young girl whose beloved older brother Jimmy is drafted into the army to serve as a medic during WW2. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Kirsten G. Cutler

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