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A Tiny Piece of Sky
The summer story of three sisters, one restaurant, and a (possible) German spy.
World War II is coming in Europe. At least that’s what Frankie Baum heard on the radio. But from her small town in Maryland, in the wilting summer heat of 1939, the war is a world away.
Besides, there are too many other things to think First that Frankie’s father up and bought a restaurant without telling anyone and now she has to help in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and washing dishes, when she’d rather be racing to Wexler’s Five and Dime on her skates. Plus her favorite sister, Joanie Baloney, is away for the summer and hasn’t been answering any of Frankie’s letters.
But when some people in town start accusing her father of being a German spy, all of a sudden the war arrives at Frankie’s feet and she can think of nothing else.
Could the rumors be true? Frankie has to do some spying of her own to try to figure out her father’s secrets and clear his good name. What she discovers about him surprises everyone, but is nothing compared to what she discovers about the world.
In a heartfelt, charming, and insightful novel that is based on true events, Shawn K. Stout weaves a story about family secrets, intolerance, and coming of age that will keep listeners guessing until the end.
Includes a note read by the author.
World War II is coming in Europe. At least that’s what Frankie Baum heard on the radio. But from her small town in Maryland, in the wilting summer heat of 1939, the war is a world away.
Besides, there are too many other things to think First that Frankie’s father up and bought a restaurant without telling anyone and now she has to help in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and washing dishes, when she’d rather be racing to Wexler’s Five and Dime on her skates. Plus her favorite sister, Joanie Baloney, is away for the summer and hasn’t been answering any of Frankie’s letters.
But when some people in town start accusing her father of being a German spy, all of a sudden the war arrives at Frankie’s feet and she can think of nothing else.
Could the rumors be true? Frankie has to do some spying of her own to try to figure out her father’s secrets and clear his good name. What she discovers about him surprises everyone, but is nothing compared to what she discovers about the world.
In a heartfelt, charming, and insightful novel that is based on true events, Shawn K. Stout weaves a story about family secrets, intolerance, and coming of age that will keep listeners guessing until the end.
Includes a note read by the author.
Audible Audio
First published January 19, 2016
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218 people want to read
About the author
Shawn K. Stout
17 books36 followersShawn K. Stout is the author of several acclaimed books for young readers, including the PENELOPE CRUMB series and THE IMPOSSIBLE DESTINY OF CUTIE GRACKLE. Her new novel, ANATOMY OF LOST THINGS, will be released in June 2024. Shawn is a science writer at the National Institutes of Health and holds an M.F.A. in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family in Maryland. Visit her at www.shawnkstout.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 6, 2016
In the interest of full disclosure, I will state for the record that the author is a first cousin once removed, meaning I am also a direct descendant of the people upon whom this story is based. Mrs. Stout did not tell me to buy or read this book; indeed I only found out about it a week or so before its publication.
I grew up hearing many of the anecdotes from this book and it seems the 'Baum' sisters were pretty consistent in their telling because what is not fiction in this book is exactly as I remember hearing it around the table at Thanksgiving in Hagerstown. Reading the first half of this book, for me, was like sitting in the room with my grandmother, great aunts and great grandmother once again. I can even sometimes hear 'Mildred Baum's' reedy little voice speaking her lines in the book and see the light flashing off her black-rimmed cats-eye glasses. Her characterization is almost exactly as it was in life. To have these stories in a continuous narrative form is a treasure and I plan to cherish this book.
The narrative style takes some getting used to, as there is a main (third person) point of view character with some random jumps to other points of view without much warning. There is also a nameless narrator who occasionally interjects to the readers directly. It can be jarring until you are more absorbed in the story and your brain is more prepared for the interruptions.
A good read for middle schoolers who are learning about World War II and its impact on average people in America. They will be able to relate to Frankie and her sisters. They also may be able to see parallels in the situation today with American Muslims: is it right to suspect that the descendants of people who moved to the United States seeking better lives harbor old loyalties? Should we boycott, spread rumors and persecute them for no other reason than their heritage and our own fears about 'those people'? This book subtly asks you to take a look at the insidious ways prejudice can influence peoples' thinking and make pariahs of possibly innocent people.
I grew up hearing many of the anecdotes from this book and it seems the 'Baum' sisters were pretty consistent in their telling because what is not fiction in this book is exactly as I remember hearing it around the table at Thanksgiving in Hagerstown. Reading the first half of this book, for me, was like sitting in the room with my grandmother, great aunts and great grandmother once again. I can even sometimes hear 'Mildred Baum's' reedy little voice speaking her lines in the book and see the light flashing off her black-rimmed cats-eye glasses. Her characterization is almost exactly as it was in life. To have these stories in a continuous narrative form is a treasure and I plan to cherish this book.
The narrative style takes some getting used to, as there is a main (third person) point of view character with some random jumps to other points of view without much warning. There is also a nameless narrator who occasionally interjects to the readers directly. It can be jarring until you are more absorbed in the story and your brain is more prepared for the interruptions.
A good read for middle schoolers who are learning about World War II and its impact on average people in America. They will be able to relate to Frankie and her sisters. They also may be able to see parallels in the situation today with American Muslims: is it right to suspect that the descendants of people who moved to the United States seeking better lives harbor old loyalties? Should we boycott, spread rumors and persecute them for no other reason than their heritage and our own fears about 'those people'? This book subtly asks you to take a look at the insidious ways prejudice can influence peoples' thinking and make pariahs of possibly innocent people.
January 24, 2019
A TIny Piece of Sky, by Shawn K. Stout, was an okay book. I was expecting it to be more suspenseful or heartfelt because it was such a long book but it was really boring and it didn't get interesting until half way through the book. It doesn't have a good climax and I think it has too much of a build to the climax and then a really short resolution, which I didn't like. I like how it made you feel what Frankie (the main character) was feeling and it described her personality very well. I liked how it had some mystery in it, but it wasn't that complex and the story moved really slowly, so I felt like it was just too much to read for not a big plot or climax. I wouldn't recommend reading this book because it's a waste of time and you could easily read a book with a better mystery and a more interesting story line.
March 9, 2016
A decent enough middle grade novel. The issues in the book, although set in 1939, are still timely now. I didn't feel immersed in the time period/setting, but it was still a good read.
March 22, 2016
It's only June, but the summer of 1939 does not look very promising as far as Frankie Baum, 11, is concerned. Her sister and best friend Joan, "the just-barely-older of the two," is getting to spend the summer at Aunt Dottie's farm in New Jersey, where Frankie is sure she will be having the best summer ever, while she's stuck at home in Hagerstown, MD with older sister Elizabeth, called Princess by their parents.
And ever worse, Frankie is expected to work in her father's newly purchased restaurant, a long neglected Alpine-style relict of years ago, now with only weeks to get it cleaned up and running again to become his dream of "An Eating Place of Wide Renown." Opening day is planned for July 5th. Sure enough, at the restaurant, Frankie is sent to the kitchen to work, a dirty, messy job, while Princess gets to work the cash register.
Frankie is vaguely aware of war talk among the townspeople, of anti-German feelings that are beginning to brew, but she has never really considered her family to be German, even though her father's parents immigrated from Germany. But when Hermann Baum is approached by the cigar smoking president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sullen Waterford Price, and refuses to let himself be bullied into becoming at paid member of the chamber, he makes a formidable enemy, one all too aware of his German roots.
Price is also running for mayor of Hagerstown, so when Hermann also refuses to put his election poster in his front window, Price begins looking for just the dirty information he needs to start spreading rumors that Hermann Baum is quite possibly a spy and Nazi sympathizer.
To make matters even more complicated, Hermann decides to throw his own pre-opening day Fourth of July party for friends, family and even his African American staff and their families. Hermann has always treated his kitchen staff fairly, despite living in a state where Jim Crow is in effect. That, coupled with the German flyer that has mysteriously fallen into the hands of Mr. Price, are all that is needed for a boycott of Hermann's party.
Frankie has overheard quite a bit while working in the kitchen, and decides to do some investigating of her own about what is going on. But she also finds herself doubting her father's innocence. When no one shows up at her father's party, she goes to the town's celebration to try and find out what is going on. When Hermann shows up looking for her, he collapses. And the Baum family's life is changed forever.
A Tiny Piece of Sky is a wonderful coming of age story. Frankie's character develops slowly over the course of the novel as she encounters different people and situations. The story is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator in a rather conversational style, and who seems to be right in the thick of things, more aware of what is going on in the world than Frankie is. To get some of Frankie and even Joan's mindset, there are also first person letters they write to each other, which tend to create more mystery about Hermann Baum's heritage than information.
The story takes place over June, July and August 1939. There aren't many pre-World War II home front stories for young readers, making this all that much more interesting. Stout looks at both racism and xenophobia through the lens of Frankie's summer. Frankie hasn't really paid attention to the racism and discrimination towards the African American community in Hagerstown, until she starts working in the restaurant. But the character of Mr. Stannum, the restaurant's new manager, opens her eyes when she witnesses the way he treats the black kitchen staff with such cruelty and contempt, even refusing to allow them to use the bathroom he uses.
You also don't find many books for young readers that are about the kind of treatment that German Americans experienced in the 1930s and 1940s as the possibility of war with Germany became more of a possibility. Most people don't realize they were also discriminated against. though to a far lesser extent than Japanese Americans. What makes this an interesting theme here is that Stout shows how easily people can change their attitudes towards of friends and even fathers when doubt begins to take hold. For that reason, A Tiny Piece of Sky is not just good historical fiction, but also resonates so loudly in today's world.
The other part of what makes A Tiny Piece of Sky such an interesting, realistic novel is that much of the material comes from Shawn Stout's own family and the restaurant they owned in Hagerstown, which she writes about in her Author's Note at the end of the novel. Be sure to read it when you read this excellent novel.
Teachers can find an extensive Teaching Guide for A Tiny Piece of Sky HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
And ever worse, Frankie is expected to work in her father's newly purchased restaurant, a long neglected Alpine-style relict of years ago, now with only weeks to get it cleaned up and running again to become his dream of "An Eating Place of Wide Renown." Opening day is planned for July 5th. Sure enough, at the restaurant, Frankie is sent to the kitchen to work, a dirty, messy job, while Princess gets to work the cash register.
Frankie is vaguely aware of war talk among the townspeople, of anti-German feelings that are beginning to brew, but she has never really considered her family to be German, even though her father's parents immigrated from Germany. But when Hermann Baum is approached by the cigar smoking president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sullen Waterford Price, and refuses to let himself be bullied into becoming at paid member of the chamber, he makes a formidable enemy, one all too aware of his German roots.
Price is also running for mayor of Hagerstown, so when Hermann also refuses to put his election poster in his front window, Price begins looking for just the dirty information he needs to start spreading rumors that Hermann Baum is quite possibly a spy and Nazi sympathizer.
To make matters even more complicated, Hermann decides to throw his own pre-opening day Fourth of July party for friends, family and even his African American staff and their families. Hermann has always treated his kitchen staff fairly, despite living in a state where Jim Crow is in effect. That, coupled with the German flyer that has mysteriously fallen into the hands of Mr. Price, are all that is needed for a boycott of Hermann's party.
Frankie has overheard quite a bit while working in the kitchen, and decides to do some investigating of her own about what is going on. But she also finds herself doubting her father's innocence. When no one shows up at her father's party, she goes to the town's celebration to try and find out what is going on. When Hermann shows up looking for her, he collapses. And the Baum family's life is changed forever.
A Tiny Piece of Sky is a wonderful coming of age story. Frankie's character develops slowly over the course of the novel as she encounters different people and situations. The story is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator in a rather conversational style, and who seems to be right in the thick of things, more aware of what is going on in the world than Frankie is. To get some of Frankie and even Joan's mindset, there are also first person letters they write to each other, which tend to create more mystery about Hermann Baum's heritage than information.
The story takes place over June, July and August 1939. There aren't many pre-World War II home front stories for young readers, making this all that much more interesting. Stout looks at both racism and xenophobia through the lens of Frankie's summer. Frankie hasn't really paid attention to the racism and discrimination towards the African American community in Hagerstown, until she starts working in the restaurant. But the character of Mr. Stannum, the restaurant's new manager, opens her eyes when she witnesses the way he treats the black kitchen staff with such cruelty and contempt, even refusing to allow them to use the bathroom he uses.
You also don't find many books for young readers that are about the kind of treatment that German Americans experienced in the 1930s and 1940s as the possibility of war with Germany became more of a possibility. Most people don't realize they were also discriminated against. though to a far lesser extent than Japanese Americans. What makes this an interesting theme here is that Stout shows how easily people can change their attitudes towards of friends and even fathers when doubt begins to take hold. For that reason, A Tiny Piece of Sky is not just good historical fiction, but also resonates so loudly in today's world.
The other part of what makes A Tiny Piece of Sky such an interesting, realistic novel is that much of the material comes from Shawn Stout's own family and the restaurant they owned in Hagerstown, which she writes about in her Author's Note at the end of the novel. Be sure to read it when you read this excellent novel.
Teachers can find an extensive Teaching Guide for A Tiny Piece of Sky HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
March 28, 2016
I really wanted to like this book, but it failed me on many levels. The story felt incredibly unoriginal with a “youngest child makes good” coming-of-age storyline and numerous bits that felt leftover from every other WWII-era novel. Additionally, the author peppered the novel with countless little bits of incredibly specific history (titles of radio plays, names of cars, etc.) but without any payoff; they seemed more like she’d kept a list of things to include to make sure we knew she was writing a historical fiction novel. Finally, the historical themes of the novel would suggest this is aimed at a high school audience but the 11-year old main character make it more comfortable for a younger crowd and I could not reconcile this easily. The author’s note indicates this is a story from her own family history, so perhaps she was too close to it to really make it work as a novel.
April 7, 2025
Since the sky mostly looks blue, one can draw conclusions from a tiny piece of sky without seeing the big picture - things like: people with a German last name must be spies for Hitler. This book takes place in 1939 and is loosely based on experiences of the author's grandparents. The main character is an 11 year old girl named Frances Marie (Frankie). She's a number three and loves the Wizard of Oz. Segregation has a big role in this book too.
Content considerations:
Discrimination, swearing (h word and d word), lying, description of an inappropriate pin up situation, picking at scabs.
I think there's a typo on P. 106 in a conversation between Mr. Stannum and Mr. Price. "He handed Mr. Price a calling card" - In context, I think Mr. Price handed Mr. Stannum a calling card, not Stannum handing Price a calling card.
Quotes:
"They knew when to come in. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that when they did come in, they came in on notes that together produced a sound that was, well, unnatural. And the thing about singing is that when you started off in that sort of place, it was really hard to go anyplace else " p. 25
'This was Mother's technique, to get as close to you as possible so that the words coming out of her mouth, along with every single ounce of their meaning, wouldn't have far to travel and couldn't hop on a breeze and take a detour." P. 70
Content considerations:
Discrimination, swearing (h word and d word), lying, description of an inappropriate pin up situation, picking at scabs.
I think there's a typo on P. 106 in a conversation between Mr. Stannum and Mr. Price. "He handed Mr. Price a calling card" - In context, I think Mr. Price handed Mr. Stannum a calling card, not Stannum handing Price a calling card.
Quotes:
"They knew when to come in. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that when they did come in, they came in on notes that together produced a sound that was, well, unnatural. And the thing about singing is that when you started off in that sort of place, it was really hard to go anyplace else " p. 25
'This was Mother's technique, to get as close to you as possible so that the words coming out of her mouth, along with every single ounce of their meaning, wouldn't have far to travel and couldn't hop on a breeze and take a detour." P. 70
November 2, 2018
This book was really good, and I rate it 5 out of 5. The reason why I'm rating it 5 out of 5 is that this story had me at the edge of my seat, excited to find out what is going to happen next, and had me paying attention to every single detail. The whole plot is also very interesting. Joan, who is an 11 year old girl, is the youngest in her family. The year is 1939, and she lives in a small town in Maryland. WWII is about to come and people don't know what to do, and they definitely don't when there is people talking about how Joan's father is a "German Spy." Joan, however, is determined to figure out if this is actually true even if everyone thinks that she can't because she is the youngest in her family.
Throughout this whole story, Joan is trying to figure out who she is and if her Dad is actually a German spy. I really like this because everyone in life goes through a time where they try to figure out who they are and Joan is doing this while people are accusing her father of being a German Spy. I also really like this book because Shawn K Stouts wording helps make the story flow and understandable, she goes straight to the point but, she does this in a way that makes you want to keep reading.
Throughout this whole story, Joan is trying to figure out who she is and if her Dad is actually a German spy. I really like this because everyone in life goes through a time where they try to figure out who they are and Joan is doing this while people are accusing her father of being a German Spy. I also really like this book because Shawn K Stouts wording helps make the story flow and understandable, she goes straight to the point but, she does this in a way that makes you want to keep reading.
April 10, 2019
Honestly, I liked the book, but I was a little disappointed when I read it. I thought that not much happened until I was almost done with the book. Frankly, I got a little bored. Since it's about a German spy, I was hoping for a little more drama and mystery, but there was nothing really mysterious. One part I kept looking for in the beginning was a sign or some foreshadowing that later accusations of German spies would occur, but I never found anything. However, almost towards the end it did start to have more drama and kept me wanting to read more. I was just hoping that it would start more mysterious in the beginning, but it didn't. All in all, I was hoping for a little more out of this book. 😢
October 8, 2018
I LOVED this book.
World War II is brewing in Europe, and an American with German descent is accused of being a spy. He's tossed into the situation by someone who tries to control the town, so there's a good bit of dramatic tension.
The main character, daughter #3, Frankie, is working behind the scenes to protect her dad from the accusations, help him start a restaurant, and try to control her crazy, impulsive actions! She is such a delightful character!
Have fun reading this one!
World War II is brewing in Europe, and an American with German descent is accused of being a spy. He's tossed into the situation by someone who tries to control the town, so there's a good bit of dramatic tension.
The main character, daughter #3, Frankie, is working behind the scenes to protect her dad from the accusations, help him start a restaurant, and try to control her crazy, impulsive actions! She is such a delightful character!
Have fun reading this one!
September 11, 2019
This book, A tiny piece of sky was a relatively okay book. It talks about Frankie’s family. Her father started a restaurant and now the whole family has to help. Frankie’s job is in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and washing dishes. Later on in the book, Frankie’s dad got accused of being a German spy. Because of that, the restaurant and the family is in trouble. Frankie tries to do some investigating by herself and what she finds out shocks her. In the end, it’s a happy yet sad ending.
December 5, 2024
My son picked this for me randomly off of a library shelf, but it piqued my interest! I appreciated the different perspective on WWII: being in a family of German descent in the US while problems worsened overseas. I also was kept on my toes about what exactly was going on with Frankie's dad for much of the book! I struggled a bit with how one sided many of the side characters were but I'll attribute that mostly to this being written as children's literature.
April 25, 2018
Such a great book and touching story but i enjoyed the STORY I think Frankie represents my younger sister but Frankie`s character is similar to mine as she and I are quuite aggresive.(savage) I think it teaches us to be filial to our parents. THIS BOOK IS SO SAD!!!!`cause Hermann died
June 22, 2018
Frankie is a third child and constantly feels like she is the least in charge of the world around her which includes her families new restaurant. Set against the backdrop of the upcoming World War II. Frankie's family is of German descent and this book does a good job of exploring the at home feelings toward German families. Upper elementary
October 12, 2022
While I was reading this I struggled a bit. I was thinking maybe one or two stars. Then I read the author's note and discovered it was historical fiction. I wish I had known that from the start. Then I found a newspaper article about the actual Beck's Tavern and Restaurant. Then I was even more impressed. So when you do read it, know times were really like this book depicts and enjoy.
March 23, 2019
Very thought-provoking, love the characters. Want to read again.
July 2, 2019
Not able to connect to the characters. The writing is a bit too simplistic.
Read
December 26, 2019Boy fears his German born father is a Nazi
November 7, 2024
I love the determination of Franky in helping her dad
March 17, 2017
A quiet, slow-paced middle grade novel without much plot. This book delivers an important lesson in prejudice, and why it is wrong to "make judgements based on the things we can't help." Unfortunately, the lesson overshadows the story. There are some long passages of set-up, explanation, and tangential incidents to make the story work. The omniscient narrator makes it difficult to stay connected with the protagonist. Some good period details, but it's never clear how the Baums are surviving the Depression with a fancy car and enough money to start a large restaurant from scratch.
November 28, 2016
Stout, Shawn K. A Tiny Piece of Sky, 322 pages. Philomel Books, 2016. $16.99. Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G. 1
1-year old Frankie Baum is facing the entire summer of 1939 without her best friend, and just-barely-older sister, Joan. Things get worse when her father announces he’s bought a rundown restaurant and everyone will have to help get it up and running. Before the restaurant even opens it looks likely to fail when rumors begin to circulate about Frankie’s father being a possible German spy. Its left to Frankie to discover the truth about her father and make peace with a changing world.
As much as I wanted to like this book, it failed me on many levels. The story felt incredibly unoriginal with a “youngest child makes good” storyline and numerous bits that felt leftover from every other WWII-era novel. Additionally, the author peppered the novel with countless little bits of incredibly specific history (titles of radio plays, names of cars, etc.) but without any payoff; they seemed more like she’d kept a list of things to include to make sure we knew she was writing a historical fiction novel. Finally, the historical themes of the novel would suggest this is aimed at a high school audience but the 11-year old main character makes it more comfortable for a younger crowd and I could not reconcile this easily. The author’s note indicates this is a story from her own family history, so perhaps she was too close to it to really make it work as a novel.
NO. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
1-year old Frankie Baum is facing the entire summer of 1939 without her best friend, and just-barely-older sister, Joan. Things get worse when her father announces he’s bought a rundown restaurant and everyone will have to help get it up and running. Before the restaurant even opens it looks likely to fail when rumors begin to circulate about Frankie’s father being a possible German spy. Its left to Frankie to discover the truth about her father and make peace with a changing world.
As much as I wanted to like this book, it failed me on many levels. The story felt incredibly unoriginal with a “youngest child makes good” storyline and numerous bits that felt leftover from every other WWII-era novel. Additionally, the author peppered the novel with countless little bits of incredibly specific history (titles of radio plays, names of cars, etc.) but without any payoff; they seemed more like she’d kept a list of things to include to make sure we knew she was writing a historical fiction novel. Finally, the historical themes of the novel would suggest this is aimed at a high school audience but the 11-year old main character makes it more comfortable for a younger crowd and I could not reconcile this easily. The author’s note indicates this is a story from her own family history, so perhaps she was too close to it to really make it work as a novel.
NO. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
January 17, 2017
This was a great book, but it took me awhile to get to the "I can't put this down" stage--I think because I knew it had a sad ending. It was interesting both for the different lens with which it shows the build-up to WWII and for all the daily life details it includes.
Frankie is forced into a summer of hard, hot work at her family's new restaurant. As a #3 (she has 2 older sisters, the oldest of whom is always called "Princess"), nobody listens to her ideas or thinks she can do anything. She's determined to prove that she CAN do more important jobs (like host or work the cash register) even while her time in the kitchen is one mishap after another. What eventually takes center stage, though, is the larger forces in the city of Hagerstown that are making it hard for the restaurant to take off.
We were especially lucky to have Ms. Stout come talk to 8th graders at EMS--they were especially interested by the menu prices in a 1930s restaurant! Knowing that many details come from her own family's history make the book even more interesting.
Frankie is forced into a summer of hard, hot work at her family's new restaurant. As a #3 (she has 2 older sisters, the oldest of whom is always called "Princess"), nobody listens to her ideas or thinks she can do anything. She's determined to prove that she CAN do more important jobs (like host or work the cash register) even while her time in the kitchen is one mishap after another. What eventually takes center stage, though, is the larger forces in the city of Hagerstown that are making it hard for the restaurant to take off.
We were especially lucky to have Ms. Stout come talk to 8th graders at EMS--they were especially interested by the menu prices in a 1930s restaurant! Knowing that many details come from her own family's history make the book even more interesting.
May 24, 2016
When you’re Number Three in the family, you never get to do anything first. Ever. And you are never, ever trusted to do anything on your own. These were things Frankie Baum knew to be true.
So, at the beginning of summer, when Frankie’s dad announces that he is opening a restaurant, she is not happy. Especially since her favorite sister has up and abandoned her to spend the summer at the lake with Aunt Dottie. She’ll probably end up spending most of her summer scrubbing floors and washing dishes with no one to distract her.
But it’s the year 1939 and war is coming to Europe. Normally, that wouldn’t bother Frankie. But then people in town start accusing her father of being a German spy. It can’t be true, of course! But...what if it is? Why does her own father seem so secretive lately?
And how can her father defend himself against an entire town that is absolutely set on destroying him, his restaurant, and his entire family?
So, at the beginning of summer, when Frankie’s dad announces that he is opening a restaurant, she is not happy. Especially since her favorite sister has up and abandoned her to spend the summer at the lake with Aunt Dottie. She’ll probably end up spending most of her summer scrubbing floors and washing dishes with no one to distract her.
But it’s the year 1939 and war is coming to Europe. Normally, that wouldn’t bother Frankie. But then people in town start accusing her father of being a German spy. It can’t be true, of course! But...what if it is? Why does her own father seem so secretive lately?
And how can her father defend himself against an entire town that is absolutely set on destroying him, his restaurant, and his entire family?
April 9, 2016
It's 1939 and Frankie Baum, age eleven, isn't keen on summer vacation because her sister Joan (older by tw0 years) gets to visit their Aunt in New Jersey, while Frankie has to stay home in Maryland. Frankie also has to work on her father's new venture, which is to open a restaurant by July 5. However, the man running for mayor has spread rumors that Frankie's dad has German ancestry and could possibly be a German spy. After Frankie investigates, she thinks her dad may have connections to the Germans too. Anti-German sentiments are strong and greatly influence the opening of the restaurant, as does a family emergency, but Frankie learns that truth overshadows rumors.
I enjoyed the author's family ties to a real restaurant and the various characters the author serves the reader.
I enjoyed the author's family ties to a real restaurant and the various characters the author serves the reader.
January 16, 2017
What a wonderful book! This was a Christmas present from my middle school librarian daughter to her retired elementary librarian mother but to be truthful I think adults would love this book. Set in 1939 Hagerstown, MD, it's the story of 12 year old Frankie Baum -- #3 in her family and always feeling that her 2 older sisters are getting a better deal. Her father is apparently always looking for the next best business opportunity and he finds it when he decides to open a new restaurant- Baum's Restaurant of course. As the whole family (the kids perhaps reluctantly) work to open the new restaurant on July 5th it turns out that there are some sinister forces working against them. This is a wonderful re-creation of life in this time period.
January 26, 2017
Narrated by Tara Sands. Somehow I just couldn't stay on track with the sound of this reader's voice and with the many humorous tangents in the story it was a bit of a trial to keep up. The author's note about the relatives who inspired the novel was illuminating. Frankie's dad opens a restaurant in their Maryland small town on the eve of war in Europe. He has big plans for a restaurant of renown but his German heritage troubles a mayoral candidate bent on ridding the town of evil in the name of patriotism. High-spirited Frankie has her trials and tribulations as the third and youngest child but it's that spirit that is her strength when it counts. Lib notes: The funeral chapter may be disturbing to children sensitive about death.
April 28, 2016
Frankie Baum doesn't think she can survive the summer of 1939 in Hagerstown, Maryland while her very slightly older sister Joan gets to spend the summer on Aunt Dottie's farm. To make matters worse, Frankie's dad just bought an old restaurant and intends to fix it up, and Frankie has to work in the kitchen. Why can't she be out front like her oldest sister Elizabeth? Why can't she be the one working the cash register? Just when Frankie thinks the summer can't get much worse, she starts to hear whispers going around town about her dad, whispers that because of his German background, he must be a Nazi spy. Can Frankie get to the truth before it's too late?
August 29, 2016
As the third child in her family--and not yet old enough to be taken seriously--young Frankie struggles to find her place in the world. But one summer in the late 1930s, as Europe descends into chaos and the people in Frankie's Maryland town look askance at her family for their German heritage, as her family struggles to make their newly-established restaurant a viable reality, and as prejudice, politics, and family secrets come crowding in close, Frankie learns that maybe being treated like an adult comes at a very steep price.
September 28, 2016
'Twas all keen in the voice of the endless engaging and authentic narrator, a girl who collects scabs, and bumps along at the end of the birth order in her 3-sister-sibling-trio. Stout makes the jaunt an insightful exploration of character, prejudice, perception -- and growing up -- without ever popping the soap-box to preach, and brings alive the pre-WWII suspicion and fear that ate away at communities. Without a hitch, she also manages to throw a light on racism. Brill read-aloud to a sibling or child; excellent tale for any reader.
July 1, 2017
Best kids book I have read in a long time. I enjoyed the feisty Frankie and her grandmother. This would be a great classroom read aloud because it touches on so many topics. I am excited for the author to visit my school at the end of the week.
April 7, 2016
This was a charming middle reader with a feisty narrator but it sort of just ambled along a bit too slowly until the "a little too neat" ending.
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