Georgie Collins knows exactly how to make it through life in a new town. Before her father left for Vietnam, he gave her standing orders never to let anyone mess with her, and she won’t. As long as she doesn’t allow the enemy to smell her fear, Georgie will survive seventh grade in Glendale, Indiana, just fine.

But that doesn’t mean she’ll like it. How could she? Her school has forced her to participate in a “Good Deeds Program,” so she’s stuck visiting old people in a nursing home. What’s more, her classes are filled with “peacenik” kids who think the war is wrong – including her only friend. At home, it seems that the kids her mom is babysitting are constantly whining at her. Worst of all, Georgie’s father has been gone a long time – and even though he promised to send her his love every night on the moon, sometimes that’s not enough.

This story of a feisty girl’s fierce devotion to her father is a powerful reflection on the ravages of war.