Summer Endings

A parent might reach for this book when their child is dealing with the prolonged absence of a loved one and the complex, anxious feelings that come with waiting. Set in Chicago during the summer of 1945, the story follows twelve-year-old Christine, a Polish immigrant, as she and her family desperately await news of her father, a political activist they had to leave behind six years earlier. As the war in Europe ends, their hope is mixed with immense fear and uncertainty. This gentle, character-driven historical novel is ideal for readers aged 10 to 14. It provides a safe, historical distance to explore powerful emotions like anxiety, grief, and resilient hope, validating a child's feelings of living with a difficult unknown.