When Americans were called upon to “do their part” following the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, the students of South High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., did more than their share with their contribution to the 1942 “Buy a Bomber” campaign. Writing in the simple, unadorned terms of small-town America during wartime, Warren, a writer from the South High class of 1962, captures the patriotism and community spirit that sparked the students to canvass door-to-door. She chronicles the eager pupils who raised more than $75,000 in sales of war bonds and Defense Loan stamps in order to buy a fighter plane. The drive continued to bring in donations and the students subsequently collected more than $300,000 to purchase a B-17 bomber, which was named The Spirit of South High. (Unfortunately, the bomber crashed in a farmer’s field during a training mission in bad weather.) Warren honors the school leadership, students, and local merchants with lofty praise, while noting some additional government support. This bit of local history is a reminder of unheralded resolve and determination by students during WWII. (BookLife)