Dear Papa

"The letters are personal and immediate, and the story is full of details that evoke the historical period. . . . The simple words grab your heart."
— BOOKLIST

It’s a good thing nine-year-old Isabelle is learning to write letters at school, because she has a lot to write to Papa about after he dies. Her sisters have boyfriends, little Ida hardly remembers Papa, and Ian is mad to be left with a house full of females. As for Mama, she’s tired with a capital T — and what’s worse, she’s sending Isabelle to live with her aunt and uncle. Now who will stop little Ida from calling Mama’s boss "Papa"? Set during World War II, this novel-in-letters follows a young girl learning to cope with the loss of her father — with a loyal heart, an independent attitude, and an unforgettable way with words.

Anne Ylvisaker (pronounced ILL vi’soccer) has published essays and magazine articles for adults, as well as nonfiction books for children. She taught elementary school for twelve years and holds a master’s in education. She says, "A few years ago my aunt told me about a lost childhood letter she’d written to her father just before he died. That lost letter consumed my imagination. The letter was never found, so I made up my own, and that was the beginning of DEAR PAPA." DEAR PAPA is Anne Ylvisaker’s first novel.