Blue skies

Review by Booklist Review

Though it's been several years since her father went missing while fighting overseas during WWII, fifth-grader Glory Bea still believes he'll come home to Gladiola, Texas, where she lives with her mother and grandparents. Then, Randall Horton, who served with her father, unexpectedly visits, which Glory Bea decides means her father's returning, too. As Gladiola plans for a visit from the "Merci Train"--a French-sponsored thank-you to America for wartime support--Glory Bea tries to deter the developing relationship between her mother and Mr. Horton, while secretly preparing for what she's sure is her father's impending arrival. Eventually, Glory Bea must face and accept difficult truths, bringing sorrow but also understanding about compassion and adapting to change. Glory Bea's first-person narrative, interwoven with historical details, offers an intimate account of grief and longing, tempered somewhat by lighter moments like her attempts to fix up a friend and a neighbor, and by the inclusion of interspersed newspaper gossip columns. Readers will find Glory Bea, and her process of moving forward through loss, sympathetically drawn. An endnote provides background information and a bibliography.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

More than three years after WWII, fifth grader Glory Bea's father is still MIA. Everyone assumes he's dead except Glory Bea, who refuses to give up hope of a miracle: "he's going to find us." When her father's soldier buddy Randall Horton comes for a visit, she isn't pleased with the attention her mother pays him, especially after Randall becomes a permanent resident of their small Texas town. As the adults' relationship grows romantic, resentful Glory Bea strives to drive Randall away. She eagerly awaits the arrival of the Merci Train, delivering, as thanks for wartime help, boxcars full of gifts from France and, she believes, her father ("Why else would it stop in Gladiola?"). Bustard (Anywhere but Paradise) captures a patriotic spirit in post-WWII America in this novel inspired by the real-life Merci Train. Although the book's outcome is fairly predictable, it offers well-researched details about the era and themes relatable to a modern audience. A subplot regarding Glory Bea's playing matchmaker for her two best friends adds humor and interest, highlighting the protagonist's determined attitude. Ages 8--12. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Mar.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 3--6--A post--World War II story about a spirited small-town girl and her pursuit to welcome her father home. Glory Bea believes she is called to be a matchmaker. Grams already has 39 miracle matches to her name, so why shouldn't Glory Bea strive for the same? If things go as planned, the happy-ever-after between her best friend Ruby Jane and neighbor Ben will be miracle number 40. But Glory Bea also has a secret miracle in the works: bringing Daddy home from the front. They say he was lost in action at Omaha Beach, but Glory Bea doesn't believe it. After all, Daddy promised that he would return. When it's announced that the Merci Train--a train filled with gifts from the people of France--will roll through Gladiola, TX, Glory Bea is convinced it's a sign. Now all she must do is prepare for Daddy's homecoming, kindle romance between her two friends, and keep Mama from falling in love again. This is an endearing story that skillfully addresses loss, love, and hope. Weaving together small-town charm and friendly antics, Bustard cleverly integrates a history of the Merci Trains with a young girl's desperate desire to see her father again. Despite the emphasis that three years have passed since the end of the war, readers should watch for a few anachronisms that might challenge the image of the 1940s that most textbooks underscore. VERDICT This snapshot of a unique time in American history will inspire young readers and convince them that dreams are worth fighting for.--Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago Public Library

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Eleven-year-old Glory Bea believes in miracles.She's convinced that her beloved father, missing in action since D-Day, more than four years ago, is about to return home. Her small Texas town will play host to a Merci Train boxcar filled with gifts from those in France who were grateful for American help in the desperate period immediately after the war. Glory Bea's belief in her father's return is strengthened when his best friend arrives for a visit and then begins to court her mom. Even as she does whatever she can to thwart their very unwelcome growing relationship, she struggles to serve as matchmaker for her two best friends, ever loyal Ben and shy, slightly hapless Ruby Jane. Although her warm, loving grandparents, mother, and both friends support Glory Bea, it pushes credibility that she sustains such an implausible delusion so long after the loss of her father. The depiction of the flavor of a small town is nicely managed, but the only reminder of the Texas setting is the rare insertion of the contraction "Y'all," more jarring in its infrequent occurrences than convincingly evocative of dialect. Even if not fully believable, this effort still provides a heartening, feel-good ending.A tender story of grief and the gentle comfort of loved ones. (Historical fiction. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Chapter One one MIRACLES HAPPEN in Gladiola, Texas, population 3,421. And since Grams is responsible for thirty-nine so far, I'm counting on her gift to run in the family. After all, she always says, "Have audacious expectations." Why not? I want a miracle of my very own. You see, my grams is the best matchmaker in the county. Her Wall of Fame proves it. Thirty-nine gold-framed photos of couples on their wedding days, including Mama and Daddy, fill our study wall. That averages out to one per year since she and Grandpa walked down the aisle. Some folks say it's a hobby. Grams says it's a calling. Even though I'm only in fifth grade, and I don't know much about boys, and I've never made a match, I am positive that my best friend, Ruby Jane Pfluger, needs my help. After all, she asked. Call it destiny. Call it crazy. I answered the call. Glory Bea Bennett, matchmaker extraordinaire, was born. "Happily ever after," says Ruby Jane as we amble up the red carpet at the end of the Saturday picture show. She twists a lock of her cinnamon-colored hair around her finger. "That's how Ben Truman and I will live. Right?" Once Daddy comes home, my family will too. Ruby Jane's seen more movies than anyone else I know, and her favorites always end that way. Which is why today's feature didn't make her top ten. Ruby Jane's big dream makes sense. Can I guarantee it? I don't think Grams dares to make that whopper of a promise. "Wouldn't that be great?" I reply. My answer must be good enough, because I swear I can see all of the braces in my best friend's mouth. I can imagine Ruby Jane and Ben, my next-door neighbor, together, with their photograph displayed on my own Wall of Fame in my bedroom. Except her request is not without its challenges. "Shy" doesn't begin to explain my naive friend. Ben was king of his sixth-grade back-to-school dance this fall and Delilah Wallingham was the queen. Now Ruby Jane aims to take Delilah's place. "Let me ask you something," I say as I catch a whiff of fruity bubble gum while we pass the next row of seats. "Have you talked to Ben? I mean, had a real conversation with him?" "Of course. Every time... almost every time I see him." "?'Hi, Ben' is not a conversation, Ruby Jane." "I know," she says, her forehead all wrinkly. "Now it's our first day of Christmas break, and I won't have a chance for more than two weeks." "Don't worry. I believe in you and your sixth-grade heartthrob. I already have a plan. It starts right now. Today is Ben's first day at the soda fountain." "I knew I could count on you, Glory Bea," says my closest friend, and she sprints ahead. Miracle number forty, here we come. And, I hope, a top-secret forty-first miracle too. I stop halfway up the red carpet and clutch the charm bracelet Daddy handed me at the train station before he left. I rub its shamrock for luck, close my eyes, and picture Daddy's big smile. I refuse to believe what they say about him. When you love someone, you never give up hope. Not ever. "Hurry up, Glory Bea," hollers Ruby Jane, and I open my eyes. My friend is only two steps away from the lobby. The smell of warm buttery popcorn fills the theater from the concession stand out front. "On my way," I say. But not before I pray for the umpteenth time for my family's happily ever after. All the men in our town who went to the war came back. Save one. They say my daddy was lost in France on a beach called Omaha. I am still waiting for him to be found. Excerpted from Blue Skies by Anne Bustard All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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