SuitabookSummer of the war
Gloria Whelan
- Reading
- Read alongside the child, pausing when Caroline’s behaviour creates tension. Invite discussion about inclusion, family responsibility and how wartime change affects people differently, without demanding agreement about any character.
- Themes
- War entering family life: The Pearl Harbor attack changes the adults’ work and the family’s summer, while radio broadcasts connect the household to the overseas conflict. The story presents war through its effects on ordinary family life rather than only as distant history.
- Belonging and family tension: The children try to include Caroline, a teenager from Paris who refuses their activities and is described as condescending and obstinate. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Worth knowing
- The wartime setting includes the attack on Pearl Harbor, radio reports and references to work connected with the war.