Amazing Grace by Nancy Allen

been rationed. You can only buy a small amount of each due to labor and transportation shortages,” the tall man explained. “Does anyone know why we have labor and transportation shortages?”
    Carolyn raised her hand. “Because of the war. A lot of our workers are soldiers and are out of the country.”
    â€œYou’re right,” the short man answered. “Everyone, grown-ups and children, should plant a victory garden. If every family plants a garden, there will be enough food for us to eat at home and to feed the soldiers.”
    Daddy was a soldier. I sure wanted him to have enough food to eat. At home, we had plenty of food, with our ration coupons and Grandma’s food she canned last summer. More chocolate would have been a treat. That was my favorite food of all, chocolate fudge, the kind Grandma made.
    Mom and Grandma were extra careful with our ration coupons. Every night, we listened to the slogan on the wireless, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” If we ran out of coupons, we couldn’t get any more of that food, like sugar to make cakes and pies and candy, until the following month when we got our next supply of coupons. Last month, Grandma ran out of points for sugar and butter, so she couldn’t make chocolate fudge. Good thing she had the beehives and could still make cookies and cakes with honey. Grandma was extra, extra careful with coffee and meat points, too.
    We didn’t take the Hudson many places either because gas was rationed. Mom said we had to save our gas coupons in case of an emergency. I didn’t know what kind of emergency she was expecting, but whatever came up, we should be able to handle it, if the emergency involved travel. Mom liked to plan ahead.
    The tall man said, “Each of you can pick out two packets of seeds to take home and plant. Choose seeds of plants you will enjoy growing in your garden. Remember, you’ll have more food to enjoy, and you’ll be helping the soldiers too.”
    The short man carried a box filled with seed packets. He began with the first row of students and walked from desk to desk. When he placed the box on my desk, I looked through the packets. I remembered my neighbor back in Hazard planted pumpkins, and he always gave Johnny and me each a pumpkin to decorate for Halloween. I picked two packets of pumpkin seeds.
    A few minutes after the two men left, a siren blasted. Mrs. Martin said we had to practice what to do in case the Axis forces attacked our community in an air raid. Each of us lined up and walked out of the classroom to the cafeteria. We grouped close to the two interior walls and sat with our legs crossed.
    I looked around for Johnny and saw him sitting with his class. He didn’t seem upset or scared. Instead, he yawned and rubbed his eyes the way he always did right before he went to sleep. That boy! I didn’t know how anyone could think of sleep with the screeching noise, but if anyone could, that would be my brother. We sat there until the siren stopped; then all groups walked back to their classrooms.
    On the way home from school, Johnny showed me his two packets of carrot seeds. As we walked along the riverbank, I heard someone shouting, “Grace, Grace, wait up!” I stopped and turned around. Vickie ran up to me.
    I stepped away and stuck my hands behind my back. I wanted to avoid any sharp jabs that might fly in my direction.
    â€œI don’t have a place to grow a garden,” Vickie said. “You can have my seeds.”

    Stunned by her kindness, I slowly reached out my hand, and she placed the packets in it. Then she turned and walked off. “Good luck with your garden,” she called out but didn’t look back.
    I looked at my four packets of pumpkin seeds. An idea clicked.

Chapter 11
    The Plan
    Dear Daddy,
    Two men came to school last week and gave away seeds. So I’ve got seeds, and I’ve got a plan. I picked pumpkin