My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck (Dear America)

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: In Language Arts Class we had to read a book and write a review about it. I read the book My Secret War. It's about a girl named Madeline and her pal Johnny. My favorite part in the book was when Madeline and Carla became such good friends. The book takes place during World War II. At points during the book, Madeline fears for hers and her fathers lives. It is because of these fears that she is able to do somthing great and help with the war. Madeline and Johnny also go to great risks to report the dangerous and scary secrets about the Germans. There is also a romantic twist between Madeline and Johnny. This should take them well beyond good friend in their future. However, Madeline must leave her friends, school, and Johnny behind to go someplace to see her father. She doesn't know if she will ever see them again.

Rating:
Summary: Maddie's hardships
Review: Madeline Beck (or just plain Maddie for short) is a 13-year-old girl living in Long Island, New York.
Her dad is a naval airman stationed in the Pacific, and Maddie and her mother have just moved to Long Island.

Maddie isn't making any friends at her new school, and she hates the dopey boarding house she and her mother live in.

That all changes when she makes friends with a boy named Johnny Vecheeo. Together they organize a special club for kid who want to help the war effort. They collect scrap metal, rubber, and aluminum. They're even invited to be in big parade!

But when Maddie's father is badly hurt during a raid, Maddie loses all interest in the club. She gets depresses and insecure, and she thinks the only way to fight it is to do something very brave: walking alone on the beach at night, which is illegal by the coast guard

During one of her treks, she encounters what she thinks is the coast guards who warn her never to come back. But soon Maddie is convinced that something more sinister is behind the midnight encounter. Will she find out who really stopped her, and will she find out in time? Read this suspenseful book to find out!

I really enjoyed this book, but one annoying thing was all the `bad' words in the book; somehow the book wasn't quite as enjoyable because I had to stop every other page and use a black pen on it. Also, I thought the `romance' in this book was a little silly and unnecessary, can't a girl and boy be friends without all the mushy stuff?

Aside from all that, this was a pretty good book with an excellent story line, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: Madeline Beck is a 13 year old 8th grader, who lives in Long Island, New York. Her father is an air pilot in the navy, and she is somewhat of an outcast, who is snubbed by her classmates for no reason (although she thinks it's because of her clothes, hair and the gap between her teeth). Madeline is friends with Johnny, a boy who is fascinated by both Madeline and her fathers line of work. Madeline and Johnny become good friends (a little more than friends too) and soon organize a club for kids who want to help out during the war.

Madeline soon finds that there are people with strange accents following her (one who almost runs her over), ever since she walked along the beach one night and was found by the Coast Guard. Johnny and Mad (Madeline) soon tip off the FBI, and help to catch Nazi's. Not only that Mad's dad comes back from the war after being injured, and Mad and her mother have to move to San Francisco to be with him.

This was an excellent book, and I think that every kid should read it.

Rating:
Summary: A girl at war with herself
Review: My secret war is about a girl named Madeline Beck who lived in Mrs. Hawkins "Mansion by the Sea". Her dad is at war and she wants to get involved in the war to help her dad out. Madeline starts getting letters from her dad and shares them with a friend of hers whos name is Johnny. Johnny and Madeline become even closer when they share their fascinations about the war. Johnny and Madeline decide to start a club. The club was for kids who wanted to help with the war. They did fundraisers, and donations. They gathered stuff to send to the soldiers over seas. The whole time Madeline doesn't think that her dad is actually fighting she thought he was just guarding. Madeline and Johnny become girlfriend and boyfriend. Then a big shock came to Madeline. A telegram came from the army headquarters saying something happened. You will have to read the story to find out what happened. It is an awesome book. It will change your mind about the war. It will actually make you feel like your with Madeline. You must read it!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Best Dear America Book Yet!
Review: My Secret War is the story about Maddie, who really IS having her own secret war during word war II. I have read several Dear America Books but this is my favorite!

I honestly don't want to give the story away...

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Summary: My Secret War-The Wold War 2 Diary of Madeline Beck
Review: This book is about a girl named Madeline Beck and the World War 2. Well, she really isn't in the war, but her father is. She worries all the time to see whether her father is all right or not. Her mom is the same way as Madeline. Madeline and her mom live in an old, run-down boarding house called Mansion-by-the-Sea. The owner of the boarding house is Mrs. Hawkins. The people who live here is Theo, Miss. Burke, and Mrs. Rosenthal and her daughter, Clara. Madeline and her mother always send letters to her father to see if he's o.k. out in the war. Madeline's mom says as long if we don't get a telegram, we don't have to worry. Madeline Hopes not to get a telegram from the war army. Meanwhile at her school, her history class is also talking about the war. Madeline then told her teacher, Mr. O'Malley, that her dad is in the war. Johnny Vecchio, the cutest boy in Madeline's class, was interested in war, too. He asked Madeline if her father was really in the war. Madeline answered yes. As the days went by, Madeline and Johnny soon started a club called K3F. This club of theirs involves all the kids to help support the war. Everyone thinks it is a great idea. Madeline and Johnny are the only ones who patrol the beach for any strange things in the ocean. Then, one day, a telegram had come from the navy. Madeline was screaming and crying for the past days they got the telegram. She then wrote a letter to Johnny stating her resignation as colonel. Madeline then walked the beach at night. This was against the law and she could get caught. Only beach patrollers walk on the beach when it's night. The second time she went, she got caught. She was shaking and was scared. In the end, her dad was fine in the hospital.
I read this book because I like reading these kinds of diaries. It's very exciting to read books with mysterious and strange things going on. This book isn't mysterious and strange, however. It's adventure. I always read the back to see if it is my type of book to read. It was, because what caught my eye was the part when Madeline got caught. On the front of the book, the title also got me interested in reading this book. "My Secret War" is an interesting title. I love books where it involves secrets and other things. I also wanted to know about the World War 2. This book sure helped me a lot in knowing about the World War 2. No one encouraged or had shown me this book; I just picked it up from the library and started to read it. I suggest anyone who likes to read diaries; they should pick up one the Dear America books.
My favorite part out of the whole book is the part when Madeline and Johnny started a club, called the K3F club. This club is suitable for all kids who want to join. The motto of this club is "Victory does not come without a price." The one who had thought of this club was Madeline. She soon told Johnny and he was all excited and ready to start. Madeline would be the colonel, and Johnny would be the major. The rest of the K3F club members would be the sergeants or corporals. The members of the club have many duties to do in the club, such as giving allowance to the Red Cross War Fund and collecting used books for servicemen. I admire those great deeds because they are helpful to the people in war. Mr. O'Malley thinks that Madeline and Johnny's club is a wonderful idea. If I were one of the K3F members, I would definitely do my part.