Brave Emily (American Girls Collection Series) Book

Emily Bennett, a young English girl, has come to stay with Molly McIntire's family to escape the bombing of London during World War Two. Emily's parents sent her off with the reminder to be "a brave soldier for England," but Emily doesn't see how she can do that. Molly tries hard to make sweet, shy Emily feel at home. When Emily makes a big mistake and turns to Molly for help, Emily shows how truly brave she is—and both girls learn what friendship really means.

Children's Literature

Part of the "American Girl" series, this book centers on Emily, the British refugee who comes to live in America with Molly, who herself is the subject of many books in the World War II era collection of this series. The story is set in 1944 and relates Molly's experience from her perspective. For safety reasons, she has been sent to stay with Emily's family in America. She must deal with homesickness and performing the Flutophone without having practiced very much, two age-appropriate ordeals for the fourth grade set, made even more traumatic for Emily because of her extreme shyness. In addition there are cultural differences for her to learn about and overcome. Emily and Molly become friends, helping each other out, and Emily earns the title, brave. As always in this series, there is an informational explanation at the end that tells of the very real events upon which the story is based.