Jingo Fever

This middle-grade historical novel is set in 1918 during World War I in a small town in northern Wisconsin. The story deals with anti-ethnic sentiment against German American families during a time of war abroad and patriotic fervor on the home front.

Young Adelle Klein is a German-American girl who has come from Milwaukee with her mother to live for the summer of 1918 with Uncle Mike in Ashland, a small town in northern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior.

Adelle struggles to cope with the local patriotism in support of American troops abroad . . . but spilling over into a hatred of all things of German origin.

As she seeks friendships with local youngsters her age, she wonders how to deal with the public intolerance to all things German, which escalates with the approach of the July 4th celebration. In the meantime, she and her mother worry about Adelle’s brother, Karl, a young German-American serving with the U.S. troops in France.

The summer’s events will teach Adelle about the importance of standing up for what’s right.

Jingo Fever offers “. . . rich material for deep classroom discussions . . . Addy struggles with universal adolescent dilemmas against a backdrop of bullying, racism and intolerance that unfortunately continues to plague our children today. With engaging characters and a compelling story, students will enjoy this accessible novel.” – Debra Ahrens, Elementary School Teacher

Author Stephanie Golightly Lowden is the author of several previous children’s books, including Time of the Eagle, a middle-grade chapter book about two Ojibwe children on a winter trek. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.