Love, Lizzie

Letters to a Military Mom

Plot Summary

Lizzie's mom is serving in the military overseas, and Lizzie really misses her. While they are apart, Lizzie and her mom write letters to each other to help make the separation easier. Lizzie asks her mom to hurry up and defend freedom so she can come home soon. It's hard when her mom misses Lizzie's soccer championship and her birthday.

Throughout the story, Lizzie draws maps to show her mother the important things in her life--like the new ice cream store, her new friend's house, the family's Thanksgiving airplane trip to Florida, and the stars in the sky. While Lizzie doesn't know exactly where her mom is, they both can wish on the same star.

Reviews

“In this reassuring offering, a young girl named Lizzie writes letters to her mom, who is serving in the military overseas. McElroy gets the child’s perspective just right…Throughout, Paterson’s lively illustrations reflect Lizzie’s daily routine with her father and brother, while a series of maps that Lizzie draws to show her mother exactly what she’s been up to and where she goes each day effectively portray a child’s need to make sense of an uncertain world. California senator Dianne Feinstein provides the foreword; back matter includes tips for adults on how to help children cope with deployment separation.” Kirkus Reviews

"Most readers will appreciate the authentic feel of Lizzie's letters as she asks all those inevitable 'whys' about Mom's separation from the family. A worthy addition on a topic about which little has been written." School Library Journal

Associated Keywords
Military, parents, mothers, daughters, separation, missing, war, deployment, overseas