While You Are Away

Rating:
Summary: A Touching and Timely Book
Review: Our world is facing uncertain times to say the least. In many cases, those who are paying a great price during these times are the young children of the soldiers stationed overseas. Eileen Spinelli, wife of author Jerry Spinelli addresses these young people and the issues they face in her book WHILE YOU ARE AWAY. The book tells of a variety of young children who will do various things to remember their parents serving in the military until Mom or Dad returns home again. The soldiers are both fathers and mothers and the children are various races and nationalities which gives the book a broad appeal. Renee Graef's beautiful illustrations add to the charm of this timely book.

This book is a must for the children of our service men and women as they cope with an overwhelming situation in their young lives, but will also help other young people understand the challenges facing many of their neighbors, classmates, and friends. We should be thankful such a book has been written, but let us also hope that the situation our world finds itself in may be resolved quickly so that this book can be outdated very soon.