• DeCandido, GraceAnne A. Rev. of Where the Ground Meets the Sky by Jacqueline Davies. Booklist 99.1 (2002). http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/699/88/33987245w5/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A92084419&dyn=4!xrn_1_0_A92084419?sw_aep=ripl1 (Accessed 31 March 2003.)

• Gillen, Janet. Rev. of where the Ground Meets the Sky by Jacqueline Davies. School Library Journal 48.4 (2002) http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/699/88/33987245w5/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A84970893&dyn=4!xrn_2_0_A84970893?sw_aep=ripl1 (Accessed March 31, 2003)

I nominate Where the Ground Meets the Sky by Jacqueline Davies for the class Newbery Award. The book offers a fictional, but accurate account of World War II and the development of the atomic bomb. The inclusion of a section on nuclear fission, the atomic bomb and a brief history of World War 2 at the end of the book provide necessary background while not overwhelming the reader with details. The book has been reviewed in Booklist and School Library Journal.

Jacqueline Davies has written a fictitious, first-person narrative of Hazel, a thirteen-year old girl living in 1944. Being a teenager is hard enough in the best of circumstances. To that, add World War II, an unexpected move across the country, a father who is so busy working on a secret military development (the atomic bomb) that you rarely see him, and a mother who is emotionally absent. The stresses of war add to the difficulties inherent in growing up. Still, Hazel prevails. The book is written from Hazel's perspective as she adjusts to more changes in a year than many adults experience in a lifetime. I nominate this title because it is a well-written account of historical events acknowledging that children's feelings and developmental stages don't simply disappear because the country is at war.

The main character in this novel is Hazel, twelve years old in 1944. The family has moved from Montclair, NJ to Los Alamos, NM so that Hazel's father can work on a secret scientific development. Like her father, a nuclear physicist, Hazel is very intelligent. This has often made her feel uncomfortable with her peers. She hopes the move from New Jersey to Los Alamos will offer her an opportunity to start over. She wants to be liked because she's a nice person, not because she has a "sky high IQ." She starts out by trying to put on a façade, but she finds she can't pretend to be someone she's not.

For Hazel's mother, the move is very difficult. Initially, she tries to make the best of the situation. She makes some attempt to met other people and become involved in the community on the Hill. However, she becomes more withdrawn and disturbed as the war goes on and her husband's work progresses. The reader doesn't get a clear picture of Hazel's father, except that he is very dedicated to his work:

He spends so much time at the "tech area" of the compound, working on a highly classified project that he isn't available for his family. While the details are not specified until the end of the book, it is clear he believes his work is extremely important. That work, however, is not identified.

Also important to the story are the friends Hazel makes: Eleanor, Simon and Russell. Eleanor lives in the apartment above Hazel's family and offers Hazel what kids need in a friend: someone to talk to, someone to dream with, and someone to just hang with. Simon and Russell, on the other hand, offer Hazel the chance to use her intellect and keep a secret that becomes a pivotal point, not only in the story, but also in Hazel's character.

The story is set in an unnamed location, called only "The Hill." In historical fact "The Hill" is Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the Manhattan Project was conducted in the 1940s during World War II. This is where the atomic bomb was developed.

While the background for this story is World War II, it is a story about a young girl, adjustment to a new community, and her relationships to her parents and her peers. When the family arrives on the Hill, Hazel knows no one. Fortunately, she soon meets Eleanor who lives in the apartment above Hazel. Although the two girls have very different personalities, they become friends. Hazel also meets Simon and Russell. While Eleanor is someone Hazel can laugh with, Hazel's friendship with the two boys is somewhat intellectual; it is a central element in the plot development.

Ms. Davies presents information in two ways. The reader gets a sense of life during World War II through the story line, while information about "the gadget" is shrouded in secrecy. This reflects the historical facts of the atomic bomb's development. An author's note at the end of the book briefly describes the events that led to the United State's involvement in the war. She also explains what nuclear fission is and how it was used to develop the atomic bomb.

Several themes run in parallel in the book: family, maturity, loyalty, patriotism, and moral dilemmas.

As her father becomes involved in the development of the atomic bomb, he spends increasingly long hours at the lab, leaving his family to struggle through their doubts about the justification for the war and fear for their country and their family. Hazel's father fails to acknowledge the devastating impact this fear has on her mother. When Hazel tells her father "(Mom) stopped talking. Ever since we saw the flash of light. She won't say a word." (p.212). Hazel's father seems almost unmoved. He's more interested in the fact that they could see the explosion from 200 miles away than by the fact that his wife has had a mental breakdown.

From the beginning of the story to the end, the reader watches as Hazel grows from a girl to a mature young lady. As her mother becomes increasingly withdrawn, Hazel assumes more household responsibilities. She tries to keep her father from worrying about her mother and herself. Her relationships with her friends and willingness to make moral choices indicate a growing maturity. The reader sees Hazel struggle with difficult issues. We cheer her on as she decides, on her own, to report Simon and Russell for using an illegal radio. We feel her sadness when Eleanor leaves the hill. We understand her concern about her family's well being.

When Hazel discovers that Simon and Russell have developed an illegal radio, Hazel must choose between her loyalty to her friends and loyalty to her country.

Teachers can use the book to supplement class discussions on the History of World War Two, the development of the atomic bomb, as well as current events. The book may serve as a springboard for further reading, either assigned or for personal interest on these subjects.

Where the Ground Meets the Sky can be read for pleasure or information. Like many young people, Hazel wants stability. But change, both good and bad, are part of growing up. As Janet Gillen notes in her review, this book gives the reader much to think about without offering easy answers.