They know a Secret


Stepping on the Cracks
by Mary Downing Hahn
Reviewed by

Austen
L

6th
Grade



Published in:1991
Length:216 pages
Ranking (1-10):
10
Genre:Historical Fiction
Age: Young Adult



World War II is at it's deadliest. Two girls, Elizabeth and Margaret, have both seen their brothers leave on the train to go to war. They have both felt the sorrow of leaving their brother, the brother who they might never see again because of Hitler's army. They live a normal life at home, the same life that they had before the war, except for the fact that they know that their brother's life is at risk 24 hours each day.

Elizabeth and Margaret are best friends. Elizabeth is twice as daring, and four times as brave. If she doesn't like something, she'll do something about it. Margaret on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. She'll just tag along behind. Despite their differences, both of these girls have the same enemy, Gordy. Gordy is a mean boy who has two brothers at war, Stuart and Donald. He dreams of going to war when he is older. He also brags about how his brothers are shooting down Nazi planes. Gordy says,"We just got a letter from Donald. He's blowing Nazi planes out of the sky." He pretended he was pointing a gun at Elizabeth."Ackety, ackety, ack." Gordy lives with his mother, his father, his sister, and his cat. Gordy's father is very mean and abusive. He has been arrested more that once for drinking, and starting fights.

After Gordy secretly stole the planks from the girl's treehouse, Elizabeth and Margaret go to Gordy's clubhouse in the woods to get even. Unfortunetly, Gordy is already there. The girls decide to spy on Gordy. They see him with a teenager who is familiar. STUART! Gordy's brother. Elizabeth and Margaret know he is a DESERTER. Should they tell the police, or should they tell Gordy that they know his secret and bribe him to rebuild their broken treehouse? The girls know that this is their only chance to get even. Should they take it? Read the book, "Stepping on the Cracks" to find out.

This book produces an incredible story that is extremely well written. A cherished book with an ending that no one could guess. I recommend this book to everyone interested in a pleasurable story about life during World War II. A GREAT READ ! ! !

Web Sites

RETURN