10/24/2022
When World War II hit the United States in 1941, the small town of North Platte, NE, seized an opportunity to help their country, spread Midwestern hospitality, and cement their place in history—simply by serving food, drinks, and sweets to the soldiers passing through town on the train. Written in an approachable tone and accompanied by copious historic photographs and documents, Groce has a keen sense not only for his audience, but also of spotlighting smaller, lesser-known, no less important stories. Ostensibly a book for children, The Canteen excels at showing the daily life minutiae of living during wartime in a way that’s accessible, relatable and centers on the can-do attitude and power of community.
Following a loosely chronological timeline, readers learn the origin of The Canteen in North Platte – an idea of Rae Wilson’s, after giving away the food, gifts, and holiday cheer the townsfolk had prepared for who they thought were “their” soldiers—as well as highlighting notable North Platte residents. How The Canteen managed to stay in operation and a brief section with information on other ways women helped the war effort, including joining the armed forces themselves, are also provided. The pictures and documents throughout provide crucial glimpses into the real lives of these people, and small details such as prices, handwritten postcards, and the lists of what volunteers from other towns would bring with them show just how truly amazing the North Platte Canteen was.
In a market oversaturated with books about World War II, The Canteen manages to bring new life to the topic, with its discussion of Victory Gardens and rationing gas feeling especially poignant to contemporary readers. Extensive backmatter gives a timeline, updates on Platte notables, and resources, source notes, and an index. Whether a history buff or not, there’s something new for everyone to learn from, a must have for anyone’s history shelves.
Takeaway: Celebrating a Nebraska canteen’s place in the history of World War II, with irresistible photos and stories.
Great for fans of: Stan Cohen’s V for Victory: America's Home Front During World War II, Melissa Amateis’s World War II: Nebraska.
Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A Illustrations: A Editing: A Marketing copy: A
"A notable, unique addition to nonfiction collections." -School Library Journal
01/01/2023
Gr 3–7—World War II came to the United States after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. government started recruiting soldiers in 1940, but after war was officially declared, hundreds of thousands of men enlisted or were called up to serve. Trained at camps around the country, the men were all trundled to their destination by rail, which inevitably brought them through North Platte, NE. The story of the Canteen begins there on a snowy Christmas Day, when the townsfolk gathered hoping to greet their hometown boys for one last goodbye before they shipped off. Though the train they met at the station didn't hold their own regiment, they made a good-natured decision to not let the food, money, and gifts they'd brought go to waste, sharing their bounty with the strangers on board instead. Rae Wilson, one of the women at the station that night, had the bold idea to make that North Platte's mission: to greet every incoming troop train with warm coffee, plenty of food, heartfelt greetings, and loving well wishes upon their departure. That's just what the North Platte Canteen did for 51 continuous months of service. Using photos, letters, and a multitude of original artifacts, Groce shares this uplifting story of a community coming together in a time of great hardship. VERDICT With the look and feel of a scrapbook, this piece of history is a unique portrait of the home front during a significant event in American history. A notable, unique addition to nonfiction collections.—Abby Bussen
