At the cusp of WWII Britain began Operation Pied Piper,
evacuating children from large cities to the surrounding
countryside for safety. My interest in the evacuation grew from
the myriad of children’s stories featuring the event (The Lion
the Witch and the Wardrobe, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Lord of
the Flies). This event obviously makes a wonderful premise for
children’s books because it places children in new and exciting
environments, away from mom and dad and ready for adventure.
Joan McKernan came into the MobileBooth in Buffalo to share her
real-life evacuation story. She remembered growing up in London
and indulging in salted peanuts and ice cream. Ms. McKernan was
readying to enter high school in 1939 when the evacuation began,
and she was sent out into the country to live with strangers.
She stayed with a couple who had a swing, a greenhouse, and a
car, who took her to the movies once a week, a pleasure she
rarely had at home. While the adults were worrying about the
terrors of war, Joan was distrac