At the outbreak of World War II, a twelve-year-old girl comes up with an idea to help the war effort America has just entered World War II, and everyone in Charlotte Campbellâs family is doing his or her part, either abroad or in the Pennsylvania factory town where the Campbells live. Charlotteâs brother Jim has enlisted in the navy, and her mother works in Braddockâs local war plant. Her dad guides tugboats filled with supplies up the Monongahela River. Eager to contribute to the war effortâbesides saving to buy defense stampsâCharlotte organizes a scrap metal drive like the ones all over the country. She and her sixth-grade classmates start collecting old junk and soon have so much that they have to store it in the school basement . . . until someone steals all the metal. Â Charlotte is determined to find the thief and get back the precious scraps. Her younger brother Robbie supplies a list of potential suspects, from the school janitor to a fellow fourth grader. Some of the kids think it might be Charlotteâs German friend Betsy. But when they set a trap for the culprit, Charlotte has to face the fear thatâs been giving her nightmares since childhood. Â This ebook includes a historical afterword.Â
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