On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

From Barnes & Noble

His big brother Bill is off at war, flying B-17s, but young Davy Bowman is tending the home front. When not weighted down by school chores, this little midwesterner is busy searching for scrap metal for the war effort. Richard Peck's heartwarming World War II story places a global conflict in human perspective.

From the Publisher

Davy Bowman’s dad and brother hung the moon. Dad looks forward to Halloween more than a kid, and Davy’s brother, Bill, flies B-17s. Davy adores these two heroes and tries his best to follow their lead, especially now.
World War II has invaded Davy’s homefront boyhood. There’s an air raid drill in the classroom, and being a kid is an endless scrap drive. Bill has joined up, breaking their dad’s heart. It’s an intense, confusing time, and one that will invite Davy to grow up in a hurry.
This is one of Richard Peck’s finest novels–a tender, unforgettable portrait of the World War II homefront and a family’s love.

The Washington Post - Elizabeth Ward

Plot isn't the point here so much as mood: summer evening light slanting through a kitchen window, porch lights coming on after a blackout like "buzzing fishbowls in yellow halos," "the whole world…golden with forsythia in bloom"… Peck's disciplined sentences are like little shots of poetry with a kicker of anxiety or, more often, comedy to keep sentimentality in check.

Publishers Weekly

Peck (A Year Down Yonder) concocts another delicious mixture of humor, warmth and local color in this period piece, which describes America during WWII through the eyes of a Midwestern boy, Davy Bowman. The 1940s are a time of sacrifice for the Bowman family and a time of collecting for young Davy, who does his patriotic duty by gathering "whatever it took to win the war." Davy's search for scrap metal ("Five thousand tin cans will make a shell casing," his friend muses") leads him to mysterious Mr. Stonecypher, who lives in the oldest house in the neighborhood and who lost a son in another war. While hunting for milkweed ("for stuffing in life jackets, to keep shipwrecked sailors afloat"), Davy has his first run-in with old Miss Titus, a cantankerous woman, who ends up taking charge of his class during the teacher shortage ("We weren't used to a teacher who looked like a walnut with a mustache"). Throughout the novel, the author adroitly conveys how Davy's boundaries and horizons gradually expand, first beyond his neighborhood and finally overseas, when his brother is sent to Europe. First-person narrative brings the time period to life and vividly captures Davy's sentiments about the war and his family members, especially his father and brother, who are both heroes in Davy's mind. Chock full of eccentric characters and poignant moments, this coming-of-age novel will be embraced by children and grownups alike. Ages 10-up. Agent: Sheldon Fogelman. (Mar.)

Children's Literature

Newbery Award winning author Richard Peck begins his new historical fiction book with the words, "Before the war the evenings lingered longer, and it was always summer when it was not Halloween or Christmas." This line sets the stage for a coming of age story of Davy Bowman who is growing up during World War II and watching his older brother go off to war. Peck manages to make this book funny, gripping, and thoughtful all at the same time. In addition, since Davy's brother is serving in World War II, Davy's father was injured in World War I, and one of his elderly acquaintances can remember the Civil War, this novel offers a provocative commentary on the meaning of war in general. Peck's signature quirky-but-wise older characters help Davy make sense of a chaotic time and grow toward maturity. The author uses actual war slogans of the time, a realistic small town Illinois settings, and believable dialog to make a by-gone era come alive and have poignant relevance for young readers of today. This is a wonderful book for pure enjoyment, and could also be useful in social studies classrooms studying United States history.

VOYA

On the Wings of Heroes is a short novel, and Peck packs a whole lot into it. Readers will be laughing one paragraph and tearing up the next, but Peck's masterful language does not make the story "jump around" with its emotions. Despite the World War II setting, readers can connect to the events and emotions of many characters. Although the characters suffer from a bit of flatness, the story will delight many readers.

VOYA

Davy Bowman's life in 1941 is as comfortable and happy as can be. His two heroes are his father, a fun-loving and kind World War I veteran, and his older brother Bill, soon to be a B-17 pilot. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, Davy's world changes but not dramatically. This story is Peck at his gentlest. Davy's world now includes victory gardens, rubber and paper drives, hunts for scrap metal, new teachers, and opportunistic boy scouts (who grab paper right out from under the cub scouts who have gathered it). Davy knows that the war means that his brother might not come home. There is alarm near the end of the story, but this mild-mannered tale offers no real scares, just a touching view of the home front through the eyes of a young boy. Peck is a master. His language is lovely, his story has great depth, and his humor is always apparent, even in a wartime novel. This book made this reviewer laugh out loud and get misty-eyed all in one sitting. Adults who may have been Davy might love this reminiscence, and grade school history teachers could certainly use it as read-aloud for class. But the story is so slow and safe and contains so many contextual references to the 1940s that one might wonder who the audience really is. Give it to the wisest of readers-the ones who are old enough to know some World War II history and who are not put off by a young protagonist.

Kirkus Reviews

It always seemed to be summer in Davy Bowman's Illinois town; his street was his world. In epic games of hide-and-seek, Davy would ride toward home base on brother Bill's shoulders or in the crook of his father's good arm. And every Halloween, Earl Bowman, in Grandma Dowdel-like fashion, exacted revenge on neighborhood bullies. Early episodes give way to rich stories-poignant and humorous-about the weight of war as it wrapped around the shoulders of the Bowmans. It was "the duration," not really real life, just waiting for Bill to return from his B-17 missions over Germany. In the meantime, Davy and his friend Scooter gather scrap metal, newspapers and milkweed for the war effort, the Chicago mob attacks Mr. Bowman and ancient Eulalia Titus teaches Davy's class with a firm hand (and strategically placed rattraps). Peck's skill at characterization is unsurpassed; Earl Bowman is as memorable as any previous character. Scenes are so well crafted they beg to be read aloud. An ode to a father, a big brother and an era captured by a writer at his peak. (Fiction. 10+)

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