by Jill Biden
First published 2012
Natalie watches her father leave for war, knowing she won't see him for a whole year. She feels proud of him but can't help wishing he would stay home with her family. The days stretch long without Dad around. Natalie finds ways to stay connected across the distance. She bakes cookies with her Nana to send overseas to her father and his fellow soldiers. Her family gathers around the computer screen to video chat with Dad whenever they can. Friends from school and church offer comfort and support during the hardest moments. Her mother and brother share the weight of missing him. Still, nothing fills the empty space he left behind. Natalie counts the days until his deployment ends. When her father finally walks through the door again, the long wait becomes worth every difficult moment they endured apart.
Genres: family-life, military-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, separation
Period: 21st-century
32 pages · Hardcover · A Paula Wiseman Book/Beach Lane Books