Twelve-year-old Steve, Becca and the twins spent most of the summer of 1946 digging a foxhole in the woods near their small Illinois town. A new boy from Chicago challenges their way of playing war as well as their assumption that Steve's older brother Matthew is a war hero. A taut, attention riveting story moves inexorably and logically from one suspenseful incident to the next. Strong characterizations, superb dialogue and authentic details of time and place mark this provocative novel. The author once taught English in Waukesha. Honor Book, CCBC Newbery Straw Vote. (Ages 9-13)

When Steve's older brother Matthew, returning home after service in World War II, refuses to talk about his wartime experiences, Steve's friends begin to doubt the stories he has told of Matthew's heroism.