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I'm Still Scared (The War Years - A 26 Fairmont Avenue Book)
I'm Still Scared - The War Years - A 26 Fairmont Avenue Book Author:Tomie DePaola First-grader Tomie experiences uncertainty in the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. What are the grown-ups talking quietly about at home and even at school? Why does his class have to go to the spooky furnace room for an air raid drill? Why does the family hang thick black curtains on the windows? Tomie’s mother is th... more »ere to comfort and explain the confusion, and Tomie feels better. But he’s still scared.
Normal, everyday activities such as Tomie’s first music lesson, dance class and Christmas shopping with Dad go on as usual, but the day-to-day effects of the war are always there.
DePaola picks up his autobiographical series right where his last title, Things Will Never Be the Same (2003),left off: December, 7, 1941. Now in second grade, little Tomie describes the reactions to the Pearl Harbor bombings, first at home, then at church, and finally at school, where the children attend special assemblies and try to understand new concepts, such as air raids. What isn't explained fully at school, Tomie can ask about at home, and with his family's caring support, he is able to work through his fears about the war. Once again, the warm, childlike narration captures both the specifics of the time and universal experiences that will connect with most children. The shaded, black-and-white sketches on each page extend the story's small, revealing moments--stinky, wet wool mittens drying on the classroom radiator; Tomie snuggled into his grandfather's hug. Children won't recognize the war details, such as blackout curtains, but they'll see their own worries about today's conflicts and feel reassured about their safety, right along with Tomie.« less