A Spy on the Home Front: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) [Paperback]

Alison Hart (Author), Jean Paul Tibbles (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: American Girl Mysteries

During a two-week stay at Grammy and Granpa's farm in the summer of 1944, Molly spends lots of time with her good friend Anna Schulz, the daughter of German immigrants who live on a neighboring farm. When Aunt Eleanor, now a WASP pilot, stops for a visit while ferrying a warplane from one airbase to another, a security check uncovers anti-American propaganda stashed aboard her plane. The FBI interrogates Eleanor but quickly zeroes in on another suspect--Anna's 17-year-old brother Max, who works at the local airfield. Though Anna knows her brother is loyal to America, she fears he'll be sent away to an interment camp as an enemy alien, as other German-American friends have been. Molly and Anna decide that the only way to clear Max is to find the person who is smuggling propaganda. With lots of daring and a little luck, the girls manage to finger the real culprit…but they discover that that may not be enough to save Max. In a poignant ending, Molly realizes that wartime, even on the home front, changes friends and family forever.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584859881
• ISBN-13: 978-1584859888
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alison Hart has been writing since she was seven years old when she wrote, illustrated and self-published The Wild Dog. (A book she still shows young readers to prove that it's never too early to be an author.) Today she is an adjunct college instructor teaching reading and writing as well as the author of over twenty mysteries and historical suspense novels for children and teens, including Gabriel's Horses, which has been nominated for over eight state awards. "I honed my craft writing Nancy Drew mysteries and quickly developed a love of strong characters who are thrown into suspenseful situations; in other words, I love writing books that keep young readers glued to the pages."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mystery for Molly, March 21, 2005

By 

L. M Young (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Spy on the Home Front: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

Molly McIntire is spending two weeks at her grandparents' farm. As always, she spends most of her time with her friend Anna, who lives on the next farm. But WWII has brought a change to the community: Anna's parents, who are German, are suspected of being loyal to the Fatherland. Rumors abound and also affect Anna's older brother Max, who works at a nearby airfield. Then Molly's aunt Eleanor is involved when propaganda flyers are found hidden in her airplane when she makes a stop at the airfield while shuttling it to Texas. Could Max be the culprit? Or is it someone else at the airfield? Molly is determined to find out.

This is a good historical mystery for younger girls, who will learn some history painlessly--in fact, adults will learn things as well; I had never heard about the pro-Nazi group the Silver Shirts mentioned in the book. I also enjoyed the way everything wasn't wrapped up at the end of the story; pretty much like real life.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful New Mystery for Middle Readers, March 24, 2005

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Spy on the Home Front: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

The year is 1944, and nine-year-old Molly McIntire is ecstatic to have the opportunity to spend a full two weeks at her Grammy and Granpa's farm. Like the previous summers visiting her grandparents, Molly spends the majority of her time with her very good summer-buddy Anna, a German girl. The two girls spend the hot, summer days swimming, eating cookies, and getting into all sorts of mischief. But this summer, things aren't so happy-go-lucky. When Molly's Aunt Eleanor, a pilot for the army, flies into town with a handful of propaganda fliers in her plane. Soon Anna's older brother, Max, is taken in by the FBI as the main suspect in the case. Molly now knows that it's up to her and Anna to solve the mystery, and clear Max's name, or else Anna may never see her beloved older brother again.

I have been reading the AMERICAN GIRL books since I was about 5-years-old, and even as I got older, my interest in the series never dwindled. So you can imagine how happy I was to hear that PLEASANT COMPANY was releasing the new AMERICAN GIRL MYSTERIES series. Molly, as always, is an exciting character whom middle readers will love, and identify with. Alison Hart has done a fantastic job with this mystery, and I can't wait to read the rest of the AMERICAN GIRL MYSTERIES, as I'm sure they are just as fascinating.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and not heavy handed, August 31, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Spy on the Home Front: A Molly Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

This is another in the History Mystery series from American Girl, in which a young American girl is confronted by a mystery that will test her resolve and her ability. This is another story of Molly McIntire, a ten-year-old girl living on the home front during World War 2.

It's summer, and Molly is spending two weeks on her grandparent's farm. But, a dark cloud appears when Molly realizes that her friend's family is being harassed because they are immigrants from Germany. The situation goes from bad to worse when Molly's aunt, a WASP (Women's Air Service Pilot) is arrested by the FBI for carrying anti-war propaganda in her airplane. How did the leaflets get into the plane, and who put them there? This is a mystery that Molly must get to the bottom of...and before she leaves for home on Sunday!

Overall, my fourteen-year-old daughter and I found this to be a great book. The mystery is very well written, keeping you wondering just who is up to what. Also, I liked the view that the book gave into the American home front during WW2, and the fact that the author handled it without being heavy handed.

So, if you have a younger reader who likes a good mystery, then get this book. It is a wonderful addition to the Molly series of American Girls books, which my daughter and I both highly recommend.