Choosing between staying at home in England acting as a vital member of the Secret Society of Skywatchers, collecting shrapnel and viewing aerial dogfights or being shipped off to a safe haven elsewhere is no contest to Norah. A fear of missing the excitement of war and a deeper fear of leaving home grips Norah when her parents announce that she and her younger brother are to be evacuated to Canada. Although the ocean journey proves a distraction, Norah's stay in Canada consists of a downward spiral of events which lead her into a seemingly hopeless depression. Circumstances eventually conspire to provide a satisfying remedy to her despair. Pearson's smooth writing style and sympathetic insight into child-like responses to overwhelming stress ring true from beginning to end in this engrossing tale which offers a fresh look at the experience of World War II children. (Ages 10-12)

It is the summer of 1940, and all of England fears an invasion by Hitler’s army. Norah lies in bed listening to the anxious voices of her parents downstairs.

Then Norah is told that she and her brother, Gavin, are being sent to Canada. The voyage across the ocean is exciting, but at the end of it Norah is miserable. The rich woman who takes them in prefers Gavin to her, the children at school taunt her, and as the news from England becomes worse, she longs for home.

As Norah begins to make friends, she discovers a surprising responsibility that helps her to accept her new country.