Clues in the Shadows: A Molly Mystery

Absolutely love it. I am using it in my classroom. Even the boys like it. They are mystery stories and are very interesting.

This story takes place in the spring of 1945. World War II is coming to an end and Molly is feeling burned out by all of her war-related activities. Dad is home from the war, but he's different and doesn't laugh and tease the way he used to. Molly worries about her dad and about doing her part to win the war in the Pacific. When General Eisenhower offers a medal to the child who can collect the most scrap paper, Molly is goaded into participating by her rival and her desire to please her dad. Things don't go according to plan when Molly's paper pile is disturbed. Molly is determined to solve the mystery and along the way she learns about wounded veterans with "battle fatigue" (now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and discovers that the war has taken it's toll on everyone -some more than others - and people aren't always what they seem. I really enjoyed the honest and realistic examples of what happens when war is over and soldiers come home. This book was more mature than the other Molly stories. Molly has grown up a lot since Meet Molly and I liked seeing her grow and change and become a better person.