Avi's latest novel introduces us to what life was like on the homefront --- Brooklyn, N.Y. in particular --- during World War II. Like many fathers, Howie Crispers's dad is away fighting in the war, going up against the Nazi U-boats. Howie worries about his father, but he also wants to get his mind off the war sometimes. It's not easy to do when there are scrap collections and blackouts all the time. Luckily he and his best friend Denny can go to the 25-cent kid movies on Saturday and get swept up in another world for awhile. They also have a great teacher, Miss Gossim, who helps them get through the long days. But things get even more complicated when Miss Gossim is about to be fired. With everything else that's going on, can Howie and Denny help save her job?