Everything Else in the Universe

During the Vietnam War, young men were drafted to become soldiers. Lucy’s dad was a surgeon, and he was drafted in the doctor draft. After he was sent to Vietnam, Lucy and her mom moved near her father’s big Italian family. At first Lucy didn’t feel comfortable with her big and loud family, but when her dad comes home after being injured in the war, she learns that sometimes having that big family can come in handy. Along with her family, Lucy makes friends with a boy whose father is also a soldier. Lucy and Milo find a military helmet and purple heart buried near a stream, and they set out on an adventure to find the owner or his family. Lucy learns that not everything is neat and organized, but all things are connected.

There are a lot of sad moments in this story; the Vietnam War was not accepted by a lot of people. People protested the draft and even protested against soldiers coming home from war. Lucy and Milo experience this many times throughout their summer, but both learn to stand up for themselves and their fathers. Even though the book is sad, it is also a great story of how friendship and family can get you through even the worst of times.