In "Sonja IV: The War Years" the country is in the throes of war. Sonja, too, struggles with her own battles. She learns first hand of injustice, cruelty, loneliness, sadness, and helplessness. Sonja goes from a happy school experience and a teacher who respects and encourages her to one who seems to not care about her. In her new school there are three students, Sonja, and two seventh grade boys. The boys tease her, one mercilessly. The ultimate is when they put a dead snake in her desk. Sonja gets in trouble because she screams and yells for them to get rid of it. She has nightmares about the owls the boys torture in the barn at school. The teacher seems unconcerned, and even her parents who disapprove, do nothing to stop it. Sonja finally finds a way to avoid the trauma of school. Could she have polio? She is afraid of the black widow spiders in the outdoor toilet. Her parents don't believe they are poisonous. Can she prove to them they are dangerous? World War II occupies everyone's thoughts. Newscasts and movie newsreels make the war seem real. Rationing is a reality. Collecting scrap metal and buying war bonds and stamps gives Sonja a feeling of patriotism. She treasures the letters from her uncle in the Air Corp. Will he return safely from the war? Overwhelming grief consumes Sonja and her family when fire destroys the home of close friends and kills all but one. Sonja is thrilled when her brother is born. She can't imagine a person could be so small. Sonja is excited when a sixteen year old orphan comes to live with her family. Will that turn out well? A tonsillectomy, shoes that don't match, eating fried corn meal mush and beans in the teacherage, 4H projects, a box social, riding in a buggy to school, and a trip to Yellowstone Park fill Sonja's time. Readers will get a picture of life on the prairie during a troubling time in our country. They will experience education in a one-room school and appreciate today's conveniences as they read about life without electricity and running water. Readers will come to value the ideas and feelings of a young child. They will discover that, even in diversity, there is hope and happiness.
About the Author: Norma Jean Saiter grew up on the plains of eastern Colorado and attended one-room schools for grades one through eight. She developed a vivid imagination as she entertained herself while exploring every corner of the farm and nearby prairie. Her respect and love for animals grew as they became her playmates. Norma retired after fulfilling her dream of teaching both children and teachers in Colorado and Aruba. Writing about her childhood grew out of her desire to give her students first hand information about life and education in a time gone by. Her first book was published in 2000. This is the last book in the "Sonja" series. Currently, she is writing a memoir that takes the reader through the joys, frustrations, and victories in the classroom titled "The Glory Days of Education." Norma lives in Fort Morgan, Colorado with her husband, George, and adopted son, Jeremiah, and a collection of pets.