About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is facing a long separation from a parent, particularly due to military service, and needs to feel that their burden is shared and understood. It offers a gentle, honest look at the emotional weight children carry when a loved one is away, focusing on the desire to be 'heroic' through good behavior and the difficulty of maintaining that resolve daily. Esme Swishback McCarthur navigates a 100-day countdown with humor and quiet strength, dealing with sibling squabbles and the underlying anxiety of her father's deployment. The story normalizes the mixed bag of emotions, from pride to worry, without becoming overly political or heavy. It is a perfect choice for middle-grade readers who need a mirror for their own resilience during a family transition.
